ORLANDO, Fla. -- Supermarket delis need to make a clear merchandising distinction between the fresh meals they offer for immediate consumption and those meant to be eaten later, according to Howard Solganik, president of Solganik & Associates, Dayton, Ohio.
Speaking at the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association's convention here, Solganik -- whose consulting firm works with supermarkets as well as suppliers -- said making such a distinction would help reduce the confusion consumers may feel when faced with the meal-solution choices at the supermarket.
The problem that many supermarket operators are faced with is what Solganik characterized as "concept clutter." One sure way to create it is when there's no clear delineation between what's ready to eat now and what needs to heated up or further prepared.
He said there are distinct differences between those two feeding opportunities, and they should be merchandised differently in order to maximize sales.
"We need to unbundle 'food for now' and 'food for slightly later' -- separate them, so we can more effectively target the two different audiences," he told attendees.
Solganik cited as an example a retailer who, like many others, is merchandising chilled, take-home-and-bake pizzas in a grab-and-go case just beneath a service counter where associates prepare and sell hot pizza by the slice.
"I question that. Does that represent convenience for the customer? Not in my opinion. The customer who wants a take-home-and-bake pizza is not the same customer as the one who's looking for a ready-to-eat slice."
A customer looking for chilled, bake-later pizza, he theorized, would see the hot pizza being assembled and baked at the pizza station and would likely just walk on by.
Instead of throwing all choices together in a pot-luck home-meal replacement soup, "The best way to capture consumers for ready-to-eat-now food and those who want food that's to be further prepared or reheated later is to take a dual approach to food-service merchandising and offer both types of product," he said.
It's also important to realize that today's "quick-fix" consumer might be tomorrow's meals-for-slightly-later customer, or vice versa, Solganik added.
Another manifestation of "concept clutter" is when signs don't tell customers enough about a meals item, which again can lead to confusion.
Part of the tendency toward clutter is doubtless the result of confusion within the industry itself, over what HMR ought to be and how it should fit within supermarket operations.
"Consumers keep telling us there's no place like home for meal consumption. Meanwhile, we've been doing a lot of second-guessing and wishing away their demands. As a result, there's a lot of HMR ambiguity," Solganik said.
In their zeal for providing any kind of HMR program, some supermarket deli/food-service departments have attempted to mimic KFC and McDonald's or maybe the local, successful Chinese restaurant, a strategy which Solganik does not recommend.
He urged supermarkets to face the competition with the products they and their customers know the supermarkets have done well with in the past, such as chicken and sandwiches. The key is to raise the level of execution to new heights.
As an example, he showed a slide of a sandwich concept called Global Sandwiches at the latest Hen House unit opened by Kansas City, Kan.-based Balls Food Stores, in Lee's Summit, Mo.
He pointed out that this concept puts a tight focus on a single category -- sandwiches -- and at the same time goes deeply into that category by offering a variety of types of sandwiches, as well as a large choice of ingredients.
"The concept allows for the efficient production and merchandising of related items -- subs, panini and the latest craze, wraps. Wraps are new-age burritos, or a large flour tortilla filled with an eclectic mixture of ingredients," Solganik said.
Another key is that the retailer has made it clear that, at this particular station in the Hen House store, custom-made sandwiches are being served. Signage and menus tell customers that, Solganik explained.
As another example of focus in a supermarket, he pointed to a stir-fry bar at a Heinen's unit that does a particularly good job of telling the the customer what the product is and when it is available.
Overhead signs in the Heinen's unit draw customers to the "Stir Crazy" stir-fry area, and tell them during what hours they can buy hot, stir-fried entrees.
As another example of sharp focus in a store, Solganik showed a slide of two signs next to each other in a D&W Food Centers unit that not only pull customers to the panini bar, but also tell them what a panini sandwich is.
To aid food-for-now consumers in their decision-making process, D&W's easy-to-read signs and labeling identify the type of sandwich and its origin. The signs also identify the contents of each variety. And a huge, overhead sign with an arrow pointing downward says, "Order here."
Solganik suggested that meal components to be reheated or further prepared be given their own clearly defined space.
"Food for slightly later" refers to meal components, complete with recipes and reheating instructions, that require some preparation, assembly and cleanup. Examples include ready-to-grill kabobs and ready-to-heat meat loaf and mashed potatoes, he said.
Solganik also pointed out that the criteria for success are different for "food-for-slightly-later consumption," than for "food for now."
He said the former must be menu driven, feature homestyle quality, be merchandised in a systematic fashion and include the participation of all the perishable food departments.
"It's crucial that a balanced menu [appetizers, soups, entrees, side dishes, desserts and breads or rolls] be offered and there must be a significant investment in signage, labeling and other information or instructional materials," Solganik said.
On homestyle quality, Solganik again pointed out that food to be consumed later is a significantly different product than that for a quick fix.
"Consumers are relying on us to help them obtain a meal like they'd make at home if they had the time, the desire or the know-how. So it's particularly important that food for slightly later have homestyle quality," he stressed.
Also, since the food-for-later customer is looking for a simple, yet complete meal, it's necessary to organize display cases so that meal components are in logical order. In addition, cooking/reheating instructions should be posted and suggestions for go-together components add to the convenience offered to customers, Solganik said.
For retailers who have the flexibility and the resources, Solganik suggested creating a freestanding meal center with drive-through access in their parking lots.
"There are Boston Markets and McDonald's practically in your parking lots now, he said. "Why not have your own meal center there?"
Retailers who don't have the structural flexibility to do that can create a meal center at the front of the store. "One answer involves converting end-aisle displays near the front of the store. Refrigerated multidecks could replace three end-aisle displays and a demo station could be positioned in front of them," Solganik said.
