The grocery industry has a new phenomenon: “grocerants.”
Grocerants are food markets that provide freshly prepared foods with the quality of a sit-down restaurant. Better yet, the grocerant trend is on the rise with millennials.
“Eighty-one percent of American consumers are unsure about what’s for dinner,” food and beverage expert Domenick Celentano told About Money. “Today’s time starved consumer wants to purchase meal components that they can bundle into a customized family meal that will please everyone without spending time cooking.”
NPD Group conducted a research study revealing just how grocery stores are making the move and drawing younger audiences. A Generational Study: The Evolution of Eating reported that “restaurant-quality and fresh food, chef-driven menus, in-store experiences have given rise to the grocerant and inspiration to millennials to visit and spend.”
With grocerants becoming a preferred food destination, the NPD study found that eating patterns have a generational shift. “Freshness will remain an important factor in millennials’ eating behaviors as they go through their life stages,” the study reported.
“Consumers rate visits to grocerants higher than traditional quick service restaurants (QSRs) on variety and healthy options,” observed WDRB. “Grocery prepared foods are also rated higher on freshness and quality, which are attributes particularly important to millennials.”
The fresh variety of food items at reasonable pricing, coupled with comfortable in-store dining makes for a better customer experience. As millennials increasingly value the quality of the experience as a top priority, the grocerant sensation may be more than just a generational change.
“This forecast bodes well for food manufacturers and retailers who have their fingers on the pulse of what drives this generational group,” vice president of NDP group David Portalatin noted. “Give the millennials what they want — fresh, healthier fare and a decent price — and they will come.”
