The
way Americans plan and consume dinner has undergone a seismic shift. Meal
planning no longer begins in the kitchen, but often in the aisle of a grocery
store, the drive-thru lane, or on a smartphone app. According to Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant
ScoreCards, 83.2% of U.S. consumers do not know what they’ll have for dinner
by 11:30 a.m., and 64.7% are still undecided at 4 p.m. This uncertainty has
given rise to a new consumer-driven food space: the grocerant niche.
Grocerant
foods — fresh prepared, Ready-2-Eat or Heat-N-Eat meal components
— have become the centerpiece of modern meal solutions. Today’s time-starved,
choice-driven consumer is not simply looking for a single entrée but for customizable
meal bundles that satisfy the diverse tastes of households while reducing
preparation time.
This
paper explores the rise of mix & match meal components, analyzes
data-driven shifts in consumer behavior, highlights innovative retail and
restaurant adaptations, and provides insights from Steven Johnson, the Grocerant Guru®, on where the industry is headed.
The Consumer Context: Time, Taste, and Customization
·
Time Scarcity:
Nearly 71% of consumers say convenience influences their food choices weekly
(Datassential, 2024).
·
Personalization Pressure:
Families demand variety — one meal option rarely pleases all. 63% of
households now prefer “meal kits” or “bundle options” where each member can
pick their own side or entrée (NPD Group, 2023).
·
Quality Over Quantity:
Shoppers are trading traditional pantry-stocking for immediate, fresh
solutions. Fresh prepared food sales in U.S. grocery retail surpassed $34.8
billion in 2024 (NielsenIQ).
As
Johnson explains:
“Today’s
consumer isn’t just buying dinner; they’re buying time, choice, and control.
Grocerant food components empower families to create restaurant-quality meals
at home without the labor of cooking.”
From Supermarkets to Smartphones: Where Grocerant Food
Lives
The
grocerant movement has blurred the lines between restaurants and retailers.
Consumers can now curate meals across channels, often within the same
day.
Grocery Stores
·
Wegmans:
Features mix & match hot and cold bars where consumers build plates or
purchase à la carte.
·
Whole Foods Market:
Beyond salads and sushi, Whole Foods’ in-store restaurants and pub concepts
drive evening traffic.
·
Trader Joe’s:
Pre-portioned Heat-N-Eat entrées and sides enable quick “home-assembled”
dinners.
Convenience Stores
·
Wawa & Sheetz:
Leading the pack with customizable sandwiches, bowls, and breakfast-all-day
menus designed for portability.
·
7-Eleven:
Expanding beyond pizza and taquitos to include healthier bowls, salads, and
fresh wraps.
Restaurants
·
Olive Garden’s “Buy One, Take One”
model doubles as dinner tonight and Heat-N-Eat tomorrow.
·
Panera Bread:
Offers “Family Feast” bundles where sides and mains can be mixed across
categories.
·
Fast Casual Chains (e.g., Chipotle,
Cava, Sweetgreen): Functionally serve as grocerants by
letting customers bundle modular components into balanced meals.
Non-Traditional Channels
·
IKEA: Sells over $2
billion annually in fresh prepared meals, with Swedish meatballs as a
cultural icon.
·
Walgreens & CVS:
Increasingly integrating grab-and-go salads, sandwiches, and heatable meals.
·
Nordstrom & Macy’s:
Using in-store restaurants and cafés to drive dwell time and incremental food
revenue.
The Grocerant Marketing Advantage
Grocerant
solutions succeed by tapping into the 5 P’s of Food Marketing developed
by Foodservice Solutions®:
1. Product
– Fresh, flexible meal components (protein, sides, snacks).
2. Packaging
– Attractive, portable containers that maintain “restaurant-quality” appeal.
3. Placement
– Visibility across multiple touchpoints (deli counters, apps, delivery).
4. Portion
– Mix & match sizing for individuals or families.
5. Price
– Value-focused bundles versus traditional à la carte menus.
Johnson
notes:
“The
retailer who best integrates the 5 P’s creates not only food sales, but a food
ecosystem — one where the consumer feels empowered to assemble their perfect
meal, anytime, anywhere.”
Consumer Insights: Why Grocerant Food Wins
·
Impulse-Driven Behavior:
With meal planning starting at 4 p.m., grocerant offerings capture last-minute
purchase intent.
·
Portability:
54% of consumers say they eat at least one meal per week away from home but not
in a restaurant (Technomic, 2024). Grocerant foods are designed to move.
·
Health & Wellness:
Fresh prepared components allow for better portion control and dietary
flexibility compared to traditional QSR combos.
·
Generational Shifts:
Millennials and Gen Z are leading the demand for customization, with 72%
saying they value “meal choice diversity” over traditional family-style dining
(Hartman Group, 2023).
The Future of Mix & Match Meals
As
consumer demand evolves, expect continued innovation:
·
AI-driven personalization
in grocerant apps recommending bundles by household preferences.
·
Cross-channel loyalty programs
rewarding bundled purchases (e.g., a salad at Whole Foods, dessert at
Starbucks, entrée from Panera).
·
Packaging technology
that improves reheating and maintains “plated quality” appeal.
·
Expansion into new retail verticals
— furniture, bookstores, and even sporting goods stores testing grocerant
integrations.
Johnson’s
closing insight:
“The
question is no longer ‘What’s for dinner?’ The question is, ‘Where will I
curate tonight’s dinner from?’ Grocerant retailers who anticipate that shift
will own the future of food.”
About Foodservice Solutions®
Foodservice
Solutions®, led by Grocerant Guru® Steven Johnson, is a leading authority on
grocerant trends, consumer food behavior, and retail food strategy. Through its
proprietary Grocerant ScoreCards and the 5 P’s of Food Marketing,
the firm has helped retailers, C-stores, restaurants, and non-traditional
outlets evolve their offerings for the convenience-driven consumer.
Learn
more at:
🌐 www.FoodserviceSolutions.us
🔗 LinkedIn.com/in/grocerant
🐦 twitter.com/grocerant
