Supermarket Perimeter - March 2019 - 10

The role of branding
While many retailers are now moving away from
doing their own instore butchery and grinding to
reduce food safety risk, select others are expanding
their counter service with more specialty features
like dry-aging, says Dana Ehrlich, CEO of Woburn,
Massachusetts-based Verde Farms, which specializes in 100% grass-fed, 100% free-range beef.

The Fresh Market's
Market Meal Kits are
a perfect example
of self-serve's
ascendancy at
retail grocery.

Both groups of retailers, however, are responding
to a growing preference for branded products
and stocking more premium branded case-ready
options.

Grocery retailers, he adds, are also making their
meat departments more experiential, implementing grilling stations and build-your-own meal
options to keep fresh beef and other meats at the
center of the plate.
"We work with retailers to provide exciting, convenient case-ready options for customers, as well
as premium options for their specialty butchery
counters," Ehrlich says.
Case-ready also often equals "more packaging,"
which runs counter to the trend toward environmental sustainability. But Verde Farms and
other suppliers are working hard to bridge the gap
between those diverging trends.
"Consumers are increasingly calling for packaging that is recyclable, made with more renewable
materials, and with an overall lower environmental
footprint," he says. "This is a responsible path we
value as a brand ourselves, and our latest packaging
upgrades are 100% recyclable and manufactured
with less plastic for a lower carbon footprint."
More convenient and mess-reducing
packaging is being innovated across
the food industry as well, though it's
been slower to establish in the meat
sector, Ehrlich says. "Fish and poultry
brands like Bell & Evans have the led
the way, and our latest trays follow suit
with vacuum seals and freezer-ready
convenience."

10 - MARCH 2019

Other service items, Mayes says, are meant to spark conversations
with the chain's butchers - for instance, how to cook a perfect ribeye.
The Fresh Market also offers a number of entrees, sides and salads at its
deli service cases.
"Convenience for the guest is the ultimate driving factor," Mayes says.
"Helping them serve a fresh, delicious meal for their family whether it
is ready to eat, ready to heat or ready to cook. Having some of these
items fresh and ready in a display case also helps our guests with ease
of purchase."
As its customers' needs for convenient, easy meal solutions have
increased, The Fresh Market has increased the number of display cases
to fill that need in the meat, produce and deli areas of its stores.
"Products that are self-service items at The Fresh Market are our easy
meal solutions - the chef-inspired entrees and meal kits, or easy side
dishes that are ready to heat," Mayes says. "Produce also offers a number of fresh-prepped items, such as zucchini noodles or trimmed, cut
and seasoned Brussels sprouts and asparagus tips."
More and more, The Fresh Market's focus is on providing easy, convenient meal solutions for its customers, Mayes says - whether they're
time-crunched, need some culinary shortcuts to serve a fresh, healthy
meal on the table for their family, or make it easier and faster for them to
shop for themselves or their family.
"There are advantages to having both service and self-serve depending on the needs of the guests," he says. "Having a conversation
with our cheese specialist can help them customize a
cheese and charcuterie platter, or our butchers who can
custom cut and trim a filet mignon to their liking. Having
ready to eat, ready to heat or ready to cook options in our
self-serve cases helps our guests who have limited time
to shop and cook, but who still want to serve a fresh-prepared meal to their family."

BELL & EVANS, THE FRESH MARKET, HENNY PENNY

"We're helping retailers respond to the modern
shopper with these, as well as premium butcher
counter product to be cut on premise," Ehrlich
says.
Supermarket Perimeter - March 2019

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