The latest numbers from research firm Technomic indicate a sharp upward turn in retail-foodservice consumption in the past year, as more than a third of consumers (35 percent) now report purchasing prepared foods from a retail food store at least once a week, nearly a 50 percent increase from May, according to CSP. For the full story, click here.
Editor’s Insight: This report claims that weekly usage of meal solutions from supermarkets, convenience stores and other food retailers is now almost twice as high as it was a year ago. It begs the question for our industry: Are vending operators getting their fair share of this business? Given the decline in food machines that has occurred in recent years, the answer is “no.”
The vending industry’s retail competitors are fine tuning their food offerings. The overall quality of meal solutions has improved in quality in recent years. The self checkout market is one tool that is allowing many vending operators to successfully get back into the food business. Vending operators need to respond to the consumer’s demand for convenient, high quality meal values. The vending industry no longer holds a monopoly on the convenience part of this equation. 12-21-11 By Elliot Maras
