Plated

  1. Shopper & Customer

The New Breakfast Equation—Time, Taste, Price, and the Rewiring of Meal Consumption

  Consumers are fundamentally reshaping how they approach food, driven by four converging forces: time scarcity, flavor expectations, price sensitivity, and the need to satisfy diverse household demands. What is emerging is not a temporary shift—but a structural transformation in meal consumption behavior and food channel migration according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, […]
5 min read
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  1. Department & Category

Portability, Platforms, and Prepared Foods: Where Foodservice Success Is Being Redefined

  The food industry in 2025–2026 is undergoing one of the largest structural shifts in decades. Consumers are eating differently, ordering differently, and discovering meals through digital platforms, convenience retail, and ready-to-eat formats. The biggest change is simple but powerful: Foodservice success today is driven by portability. Portable meals—food that can be ordered digitally, picked […]
5 min read
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  1. Technology & Innovation

Your Views:  Do You Hear The People Sing?

MNB reported on how the UFCW is campaigning for a national ban on electronic shelf labels, calling them a vehicle for “surveillance pricing” that will cost jobs and raise consumer prices. I commented: The UFCW is wrong on this issue, as are the lawmakers siding with the union. Not in their opposition to price gouging.  […]
7 min read
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  1. Shopper & Customer

Love Beyond the 14th: How to Turn One Perfect Valentine’s Meal into a Week of Profitable Romance

Valentine’s Day may be circled on the calendar, but the consumer mindset it unlocks does not shut off at midnight. When a dinner, dessert, or drink delivers connection, indulgence, and memory-making, shoppers want the feeling again — just with less pressure, less formality, and often at a better value according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® […]
4 min read
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  1. Department: Food

Hand Held Power: How Finger-Ready Food Is Re-Shaping Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

  At the intersection of the consumer, meal-time fragmentation, and digital engagement sits the most powerful driver of retail foodservice growth today: hand held food; that according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. Whether it’s breakfast burritos at 6:15 a.m., a grab-and-go protein wrap at noon, or portable sliders for […]
5 min read
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  1. Shopper & Customer

Trading Down While Dining Out: How Chili’s Redefined the “Night Out” Experience

  For much of modern dining history, “going out to eat” meant more than just having a meal — it was a cultural event according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. In the 1950s and 1960s, dining out was a special occasion reserved for white-tablecloth restaurants, where service, silverware, and […]
4 min read
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  1. Channel: Restaurants

How Grocery Stores, C-Stores, and Restaurants Can Win the Holiday Meal War

  The holiday feast season is more than tradition, it’s a high-stakes competition for share of stomach according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  Grocery Stores, Convenience Stores (C-Stores), and Restaurants are all vying to be the go-to solution for hosts seeking ease, affordability, and quality. The battlefield? Ready-2-Eat and […]
4 min read
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  1. Data & Insights

Mix & Match Meal Components: What’s Really for Dinner?

  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 […]
5 min read
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  1. Shopper & Customer

Irn-Bru launches chance to win £10k gold bars

As part of Irn-Bru’s £8m brand investment, it has launched a POS campaign that will give consumers the chance to win one of four solid 18 carat gold girders worth £10k. There will also be thousands of other prizes on offer, including exclusive gold-plated keyrings… This story continues at Irn-Bru launches chance to win £10k […]
< 1 min read
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  1. Shopper & Customer

The Grocerant Revolution: How Mix-and-Match Meal Components Are Winning Over Consumers

  What do consumers think a Grocerant is? According to Steven Johnson, the Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA-based Foodservice Solutions®, the man who coined the term “Grocerant,” it is “any retail food item that is fresh prepared Ready-2-Eat or Heat-N-Eat.” Traditionally, these items have been found in grocery store service delis, convenience store prepared food […]
4 min read
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  1. Department: Food

Mix, match, and marvel: unlocking the beauty of antique barware

Antique barware is more than just a tool for mixing drinks; it’s a functional work of art that brings character and sophistication to any home bar. These vintage pieces offer a glimpse into the glamour and elegance of bygone eras, showcasing the craftsmanship and design trends of the past. What makes antique barware particularly captivating […]
7 min read
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  1. Media & Marketing

Unleash the power of your marketing with Native Advertising

In today’s digital landscape, where traditional advertising methods often struggle to capture and retain audience attention, native advertising has emerged as a powerful strategy for brands to connect with consumers more seamlessly and engagingly. In this blog article, we’ll explore the world of native advertising, its benefits, types, examples, and some considerations you should be […]
8 min read
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Editor’s Choice

  1. Trends & External Forces
  2. Shopper & Customer
  3. Technology & Innovation
  4. Trends & External Forces
  5. Associates & Employees
  6. Merchandising
  7. Stores & Formats

Walmart to Expand Digital Shelf Labels Chainwide

Walmart will deploy digital shelf labels (DSLs) chainwide this year, doubling the approximately 2,300 U.S. locations currently using the technology (Walmart U.S. operates more than 4,600 stores). With more than 120,000 items in a typical Walmart store, managing price changes manually requires significant associate hours. Additionally, these DSLs are equipped with LED lights that make […]
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