Supermarket Perimeter - October 2020 - 12

The Fresh Market launches Ultimate Dinner Meals
Greensboro, NC-based The Fresh Market launched Ultimate Dinner Meals in August, a restaurant quality meal solution
complete with an entrée, appetizers and sides, and dessert to serve a family of six, and cater to a customer base increasingly eating
meals at home because of the pandemic. Cooking and heating instructions are included with Ultimate Dinner Meals, as well as
suggested wine pairings. Guests can order the meal through curbside pickup or instore pickup. The first week of the program,
The Fresh Market offered customers the Ultimate Steakhouse Dinner Meal which fed six, retailed for $149.99 and included:
* New York Strip Steaks
* Two pounds of ready-tocook seasoned asparagus
* Six ready-to-heat loaded
twice baked potatoes

* One Caprese Platter
* One, 9-inch Signature
complete with fresh tomatoes, Gourmet Fruit Tart made
mozzarella, and basil
fresh in store with over
one pound of fruit

"Go through the basics," West said. "Understand the menu and items
West suggested that retailers invest in training, upgrading equipment
offered; does it meet the needs of your customers? It is true that the
and refreshing branding to strengthen the look and quality of food
resurgence of comfort foods is real; households are looking for meal
programs offered to customers. Due to the pandemic, easing customer
solutions. There is a huge demand due to the closures of dining rooms
concern is a top priority, and West noted that retailers can help
or consumers nervous about dining at their favorite restaurant."
shoppers feel safe by using labels with callouts such as, "Kitchen Sealed
Retailers need to find a way to make themselves stand out, pointed
for Freshness."
out Tami Olson, director of national accounts - retail for Menomonee
In addition to kitchen equipment such as state-of-the-art pressure
Falls, Wis.-based Alto-Shaam. Now is the time for retailers to offer new
fryers, Broaster can help retailers implement a variety of food programs.
things that appeal to customers tiring of cooking at home.
The company's most popular program is Genuine Broaster Chicken,
The foodservice solutions company recently held a webinar that
which allows grocers to offer restaurant-quality chicken from the
taught retailers how to create new foodservice programs, while
instore deli.
eliminating waste from other sections of the store.
"We offer proven trademark food programs, or we can develop a
"For instance if they have, in the meat department, some salmon that
program based on your specific menu strategy," West said. "We truly
is getting close to its sell-by date, instead of throwing it away, there's
care about the operator's success. We are not just here to sell a piece of
an opportunity to smoke it and offer it as a meal solution," Olson said.
equipment, we are here to be a partner."
"Alto-Shaam has a full team of chefs that can
help you identify ways to eliminate waste
Take advantage of eCommerce
while expanding revenue streams through
Before COVID-19, Port Washington, NYnew grab-and-go offerings."
based NPD Group's research showed that
Retailers can make the most out of any
19% of Americans had purchased groceries
food program, Olson suggested, by utilizing
online in the last three months. By May that
a versatile system of equipment tailored to
number had more than doubled to 40%,
their needs. Alto-Shaam offers a variety of
and online grocery shopping is expected to
ovens, including Combitherm combi ovens,
continue accelerating.
Cook & Hold smoker ovens or Vector Multi"We've probably leapt five years ahead
Cook ovens.
into the future in a very short period of
Additionally, heated shelf warmers can
time," said David Portalatin, vice president
drive impulse purchases at the front of the
and industry adviser for The NPD Group.
store. Featuring gentle, radiant Halo Heat®
Over the last few months, many retailers
fanless technology, Alto-Shaam heated
across the United States have added
shelf merchandisers provide individual shelf
some type of online shopping capability
controls to hold each item at its ideal, precise
to their grocery stores. The first place
Alto-Shaam's
end caps
temperature evenly at the highest quality
to start building an eCommerce store is
can help drive
and lowest cost of ownership.
usually center-store and then gradually
impulse buys
"Instead of having a customer go all the
expanding to fresh departments and then
at the front of
the store.
way over to the deli or prepared area, put in
foodservice meals.
a grab-and-go case right by the check-out
Prepared meal items have experienced a
so that's another impulse buy opportunity,"
rapid increase in online ordering over the
Olson said.
last few months, according to data collected
12 - OCTOBER 2020

SP_Oct20.indb 12

ALTO-SHAAM, MERCATUS, NOVOLEX

* Two USDA Prime FirstCut Ribeye Steaks
* Two USDA Prime
Chateaubriand-Cut
Filet Mignon Steaks

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Supermarket Perimeter - October 2020

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