By Megan Tatum wordsbymegantatum@gmail.com
Publishing: 4 December 2021
Submissions deadline: 19 November 2021
It’s rare that a 5.2% sales decline is good news for a category. But after the pandemic that food on the go had, such figures are an improvement. What is more, it’s an ideal time for the category to prepare to rebuild for people’s changed routines. With more potential customers working from home and shopping locally, there are new opportunities for out of home snacking. So how can the category make the most of it? What kinds of products can entice customers? And how might it help physical stores compete with online grocery?
Working lunches: Working patterns have shifted during the pandemic, with many office workers dividing their time between the home office and the out-of-home office. So will this permanently diminish the meal deal? If so, how can retailers compensate? And can they serve busy home-workers who want the convenience of popping out to grab lunch?
Beverages: Sales of coffee and tea have shrunk since last year, presumably as people enjoy a hot drink at home. Yet coffee vendors continue to target retail, especially in convenience where self-serve dispensers are a common fixture. What are the prospects?
In-store concepts: With pressure from online deliveries, food to go offers physical retailers a chance to draw customers in. In September Scotmid added The Kitchen to its Uddingston, which offers desserts, pasta and pizza. Are such fixtures for the future for food to go? And what other foodservices might we see in stores?
Health: HFSS regulations still pose a threat to the food to go category. Large bags of crisps and sweet snacks have been staples of the meal deal. Will these be replaced by healthier options? How will consumers respond?
Convenience: Convenience stores and forecourts are often at the forefront of food to go. What fixtures are they trialling? Which are proving popular? And what could bigger retailers learn from them?
Partnerships: Foodservice brands have been incentivised to collaborate with grocery during the pandemic, with the likes of Costa, Pret a Manger and Tango among recent movers. How will the strategies of such companies play out?
Kantar data: Using Kantar data we sum up how world cuisine ready meals have performed in the past year.
Innovations: Four new products or product ranges that have not appeared in The Grocer, including launch date, rsp, a hi-res pictures
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