Storm in a bain-marie - HMR, Food Service & Deli continue to deliver
Products, solutions and trends in HMR, food service and the deli offer many opportunities to retailers and wholesalers, ranging from equipment that cooks and cleans itself, ingredients and premixes that save time. Also, the globalisation of the consumer driven by social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, X, Snapchat and Facebook – requires flexible, agile store managers who are social-media savvy and ready to roll with the trends and influences coming thick and fast from around the globe.
Convenience continues to drive consumers HMR, food service and deli cater for a wide range of consumers, and the one thing they have in common is convenience. After all, it is the consumer’s continued and growing need for convenience that drives these categories as shoppers look for nutritious delicious food that saves time and effort. At the same time, time is money and customer loyalty is king when you’re running a store, and HMR, food service and deli ingredients and products that offer consistent, reliable results are essential for return business. Local brand Think Chef has a range of products for the food service sector that offer convenient, waste-free, predictable results, every time.
Hendri Swart, Sales Manager at Think Chef, says, “Our products can be categorised into four main groups: savoury premixes, coatings, seasonings and dessert mixes. We offer standardised yields, simplicity, and cost-saving solutions. Each meal mix contains the same accurately weighed ingredients and fills.
The globalisation of the consumer driven by social media platforms requires flexible, agile store managers who are social media savvy and ready to roll with the trends and influences coming thick and fast fromaround the globe. A standard half bain-marie insert, giving betterquality control and consistency in flavour, colour and aroma. Our products are extremely versatile and taste delicious. They’re also easy to use and recipe suggestions are provided.” In short, they’re convenient, and that’s good for the store as well as the customer.
While convenience is a key driver of HMR, food service and deli purchases, affordability is also an essential factor for many consumers. It’s a global phenomenon. Belfast-based ready meal suppliers Go Pig explains, “If inflation continues apace, it will see consumers seeking more cost-effective meal options, as well as meals that can be prepared in energy-efficient methods, driving interest in prepared meal options.”
According to Go Pig, “63% of consumers buy ready meals as an alternative to takeaways and 50% as an alternative to dining out. 57% of consumers would buy more if they were more readily available in conveniencestores.”
Their meal offerings comprise nutritious, ready meals such as chargrilled chicken with noodles and infused soy dressing, shredded ham with mashed potato and a wholegrain mustard parsley sauce, andcreamy prawn linguini with chilli and garlic. Go Pig started as a small kitchen in 2016 and is now working from a 16 000 ft² facility in NorthernIreland supplying over 500 retailers including Spar and Eurospar stores across the country. The company has also noted a definite increase in consumer demand for healthier options.
Budget-friendly menus across the board Grocery retailers and wholesalers understand that their offering needs to suit their consumers, and
regardless of where you are based, those consumers often span socioeconomic classes. “High-end deli and HMR offerings can achieve high profit margins,but affordable and nutritious meals for labourers, blue-collar workers, students, and more economically constrained shoppers can be a store’s bread and butter."
On their Market Live programme, Babylonstoren invites their customers to join them on Thursdays at 13h00 for interactive shopping and special offers on farm favourites, with offers valid for one hour only.
Often a reliable stream of revenue, these consumers tend to have little time to shop around and can be a loyal market with predictable habits.Ensuring your deli and HMR services cater to their needs and preferences makes good business sense. Several food and flavours lend themselves to this endeavour, including, says Unilever Food Solutions familiar favourites such as beef mince curry, cheesy saucy meatball subs, chakalaka bean salad, pizza pap tart, samp and beans, tomato, onion and boerewors bredie, and sweet and spicy pasta salad.
Trends that talk – what your HMR & deli managers need to know
As consumer needs and wants to evolve, so buyer behaviour changes, and staying abreast of these changes is critical for your business success. There’s no time to slowly adapt or gingerly test the waters – if shoppers can’t find what they want when they want it, they will look elsewhere. Grocery retailers and wholesalers cannot risk their shoppers liking what they find somewhere else and switching loyalty. Sometimes this is a balancing act between adapting international trends for local shoppers, with enough homage paid to firm favourites and traditional comfort foods, while also embracing the fast pace of change, exploration, and experimentation that entices today’s consumer.
Read the full article here: Storm in a bain-marie - HMR, Food Service & Deli continue to deliver
