Stealing their hearts and minds

Who goes to the grocery store to buy, well, groceries? What we want is DINNER! 

But, can you go into a grocery and find “dinner”? Or “breakfast”? Or, “great lunches”? Not very easily.

• Instead, there is a produce section. And then a canned goods section. And then the frozen foods section. All with an overwhelming assortment of choices, whether it is mustards or pickles or pasta or….
• Plus, it takes a lot of time to navigate all the aisles, avoid the other shoppers and carts, and then check out. Which may be fine for those who do grocery shopping for the social experience as well as getting their groceries. But for many time pressed folks...

That's why the true disruptions in the grocery industry aren't coming from smaller format stores, or even grocery delivery services. Instead, the meal-in-a-kit services – e.g., Blue Apron, Plated, HelloFresh  – are far more disruptive. 
Why? They solve the real problems of many customers.

• Here's how: Folks sign up online; they receive a special  icebox on their doorstep containing the fresh, raw ingredients for 3 to 5 meals, all in the proper proportions (whether 3 tablespoons of cooking wine or 1 carrot, there is no wasted food or languishing jars of spices); step-by-step instructions (with pictures) are included; customers do the assembly and cooking, and in 35 minutes or so, sit down to a home-cooked meal.

All without the time-consuming demands of meal planning or traditional “grocery shopping." No fuss, no muss, no waste.

• Remember, “value” for customers is "benefits received for the burdens endured." In our view, these meal-kit delivery services are delivering great burden-reducing value to their customers! And, they are reinventing (or "disrupting") the grocery industry in the process.

Time to think beyond Amazon?

We believe this offers, ahem, much food for thought for all retailers. As you consider how to serve your customers better and stay ahead of competitive pressures, it's time to think like your problem-solving customers.

1. What problems are they trying to solve?
2. Anything keeping them from getting those solutions from your stores?
3. And in today's "new normal", who IS solving your customers' most important concerns – and maybe stealing their hearts and minds as well?  (Hint: as grocers are finding out, it may not be Amazon!)