How do you compete with Wal-Mart’s deli? With the local supermarket’s tempting cases full of prepared foods? If you haven’t yet come up with a strategy, now is a good time to start. The truth is that many consumers are now turning to supermarkets to spend their limited “dining out” dollars. Supermarket prices are one part of the equation, but a search for healthier alternatives is another part.
Add to that the fact that supermarkets are trending towards a more manageable building size, and the American public has been given some very convincing reasons to make the switch from restaurant dining to grocery take-out. As one New York Times article says, “After years of building bigger stores — many larger than a football field and carrying 60,000 items — retailers are experimenting with radically smaller grocery stores that emphasize prepared meals, fresh produce and grab-and-go drinks.”
What strategies do you suggest to cope with the increase in grocery shoppers? If your eatery has been unaffected, to what do you attribute your continued success?
