Chain Restaurants continue expanding branded menu favorites into Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) products. Most chain restaurants are offering frozen food. Those items can be found in the new frozen food court (frozen aisle) at your local grocery store including from companies the ilk of Boston Market, P.F. Chang's, and TGI Fridays.
Darden, Taco Bell and IHOP are finding success with toppings, salad dressings, canned beans, taco shells scattered throughout the store.
Safeway on the other hand has found that fresh ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat prepared food is driving customer frequency while creating loyalty. Safeway is currently focusing its marketing effort to redirect restaurant customers into their grocery stores for fresh prepared food.
Utilizing a traditional QSR marketing playbook Safeway's Signature Café's, Lunch Combo includes chips, made to order sandwich and a branded Coca Cola beverage sells for $5.49 an everyday price. Why this is important. The messaging vehicle utilized is again out of the QSR playbook a Sunday Newspaper insert.
Leveraging the value Safeway's Sunday insert coupon includes a Big Value Meal for $9.99 which is a focused ready-2-eat family meal. The Big Value Meal includes one Roasted Chicken (or substitute entrée) and two large side orders. The coupon again leveraging restaurant marketing techniques includes a suggestive sell item a 2 liter bottle of Coca-Cola. Where is your customer getting dinner tonight?
Channel blurring is only in the mind's eye of some marketers not in the consumer's mind. Do you understand who you are competing with?
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