Keep Sales High and Labor Low With Seasonal Prepared Offerings

Get it while it’s hot—limited time offers (LTOs) can be seductive for consumers because there’s a sense of urgency associated with the purchase. They fear they’ll miss out on a great new product that may quickly disappear off the shelves. Seasonal items also create a certain shopper’s allure. They bring freshness to their shopping routine and give them a reason to venture off the beaten path. For retailers, LTOs can mean big business.

Spotlight trendy foods

Technomic’s 2021 Seafood & Vegetarian Consumer Trend Report finds that vegetarian and vegan options continue to excite consumers, as do plant-forward egg dishes. So, grocers that dish up LTOs or seasonal recipes in these areas are likely setting themselves up for success.

For example, think items such as “crabless” crab cakes or anything made with jackfruit’s latest rival, the banana blossom. This Southeast Asian flower blooms on banana clusters and because of its chunky and flaky texture, can easily be transformed into a tempting vegan “fish” dish. And plant-based eggs are ideal in a breakfast/brunch wrap or nestled in a biscuit. By offering new LTOs, grocers can get a peek into what consumers crave, too.

Set up seasonal offers

Whether for holiday prep or ringing in summertime, seasonal prepared items are another way to keep consumers interested in grocerant foods. Meal kits are a terrific way to entice shoppers to try a combination of items all in one place. For example, many supermarkets have branched out and are prepping whole meals for holidays outside wintertime ones including Thanksgiving and Christmas. Shoppers can now find tasty meal kits for special occasions such as Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day and Independence Day,

Technomic’s Summer 2020 LTO Innovation report revealed that new menu items included everything from lettuce wraps and anything pretzel-inspired to rainbow carrots and taco kits. Trying out new things on a seasonal basis is easy and fun for consumers—both at restaurants and also at the grocery store.

Re-evaluate processes

It’s not as easy for retailers to keep excitement high and overhead low. Frequently changing up recipes can be a stressor for the back-of-house, so finding ways to save time and money in other ways can help retailers keep profits high as they create seasonal adventure and enticing LTOs.

So, what can grocery store managers do when it comes to saving time and money? Many retailers are re-evaluating the way they’ve always done things and are choosing to outsource some of their more complicated or difficult tasks, such as managing cooking oil and grease disposal.

It’s not just messy, but it can be dangerous to workers handling it and it’s certainly labor-intensive. Thankfully, Restaurant Technologies’ Total Oil Management system can handle it all. The system delivers oil, stores it, removes it and recycles it, and its advanced kitchen equipment and technology makes oil management easy and automated.

With programs such as Total Oil Management, employees will never have to worry about spending another minute on handling, transporting or disposing oil. And, their managers can stop worrying about the labor involved in grease management. They, along with their employees can now focus on what really counts—creating mouth-watering LTOs and sensational seasonal offerings that will keep shoppers engaged and on their toes.   

To learn more about Total Oil Management, visit www.rti-inc.com.