Bigger Than Back to School

August is no longer just about getting kids back in the classroom, it’s about getting everyone in the household back to life. This provides an opportunity for grocers to gain share of stomach like never before throughout the course of the day.

Prepared Meals, All Day, Every Day

Consumers are eating at home more – and it’s not just at dinner. With hybrid work models here to stay, almost 40% of Americans are consuming between 1 and 3 prepared or semi-prepared meals for breakfast or lunch each week according to a recent FreshRealm survey. What’s more, 30% of consumers are choosing prepared breakfast and lunch options 4-6 times during the week.

The Opportunity – With a Caveat

There’s an opportunity for grocers to capture shoppers at breakfast, lunch and dinner. But the catch is convenience and options! Over a third of consumers say that time is the biggest challenge to preparing meals during the week – followed closely by lack of culinary inspiration. When time is of the essence and consumers aren’t cooking at home – 40% of consumers are at the fast food drive thru.

How to Win: Fresh, Prepared and Fast

With consumers eating at home now more than ever before, the prepared fresh meals section of the grocery store is gaining mindshare – with almost a quarter of shoppers reporting they shop the fresh meals section of the grocery store more now since the pandemic began – according to FMI. As the fresh meals section continues to grow, retailers need to stay competitive by offering new, delicious, premium options for meals in various serving sizes and throughout the day.

To help retailers create a more comprehensive offering, FreshRealm, a leading provider of fresh meals for retailers nationwide, is innovating. Just this month, the company has launched new bright and nourishing family meals including Sweet and Zesty Chicken Fajitas, Tomato Basil Cavatappi with Meatballs and Beef Broccoli with White Rice. Pulling back the curtain on these 4+ serving meals right as the Back to School period hits will help retailers provide value - and a sigh of relief - to families looking to get dinner on the table in less than 15 minutes.

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¹ FreshRealm consumer insights survey July 2022
² FMI, US Grocery Shopper Trends 2022, ‘Future Outlook - July 2022