FROM SUPERANT TO MEAL BOX: THE TRENDS FOR 2019
Hospitality and supermarkets are at the intersection of “fresh” and “convenience”
The start of a new year is the perfect time to take a look at the twelve months ahead. A popular overview sheds light on the food trends for the new year. From a real estate perspective, we can translate this into a look at trends in the hospitality and supermarket landscape. The Retail team at Structura.biz, formerly known as Bureau Gerard, is happy to share their insights. What’s in store for 2019? Here’s a sneak peek… The greatest common denominator is “convenience.”
Firstly, we expect a rise in so-called “superants”: a mix of supermarket and restaurant. Albert Heijn has already announced in the Netherlands that it will install dining areas in its stores. Besides drinking the usual coffee, it will also be possible to eat something in the supermarket. Our northern neighbors are often a little quicker to follow the latest trends. How long will it be before Albert Heijn follows suit in Belgium? What if I told you it already exists here? Admittedly, in Belgium, Albert Heijn only offers coffee. But at Delitraiteur, an initiative of Louis Delhaize, you can choose whether to buy your lunch there and take it to the office or eat it there. The experience market CRU, founded by Colruyt, is also responding to this trend. The latter is not only a high-end supermarket but also offers the option of lunch in the afternoon. CUIT, CRU’s lunch concept, allows you to create your own meal by choosing from various “basic components” that are then prepared by the chefs.
We’re also increasingly opting for such convenient options at home. Just think of the rise of delivery services like Deliveroo, which allow you to enjoy your favorite sushi without even having to leave your house. Moreover, meal kits like HelloFresh and Foodbag are popping up everywhere. They focus on two “convenience pillars”: groceries are delivered to your home, and the recipes are easy and step-by-step. Two birds with one stone. Supermarkets are also capitalizing on this. Services that offer to do your grocery shopping for you, such as Colruyt’s Collect&Go, are nothing new. But did you know that you can now also have your groceries delivered to your home? Delhaize HomeDelivery is one example. And let’s not forget Click & Cook, Delhaize’s food box. You can choose recipes online and specify the ingredients you need. A Delhaize employee prepares your groceries, which you can then pick up yourself or have delivered. We’re also seeing similar services on a smaller scale. Take Nood, for example. This delicatessen is currently only located on Avenue Louise. You can shop there on-site or pop in for salads to go, but you can also create a box and pick it up or have it delivered.
As the examples above demonstrate, consumers don’t want to sacrifice too much “freshness” in their quest for convenience. A meal from a food box is just as fresh as one made with ingredients you bought yourself at the supermarket. The same applies to groceries delivered to your home: the products are just as fresh as those you buy yourself at the store. The trends we’ll see in 2019 are therefore almost all situated at the intersection of “fresh” and “fast.”
One example is Romain Roquette, a salad bar that offers the same convenience as any mainstream fast-food chain, but with a healthy twist. This success story began in Ghent and was quickly replicated in other Belgian cities. Last year, the retail team at Structura.biz found the perfect location for them on Place Rogier in Brussels. Another brand that perfectly capitalizes on the “fresh & fast” trend is Foodmaker. They want to share their passion for vegetables in an accessible way. They do this in their own Foodmaker stores, but also by selling soup and ready-to-heat meals at Delhaize, for example. Moreover, Foodmaker is also the driving force behind the salad bars in the new Delhaize Fresh Ateliers. The latter is a new Delhaize store concept where consumers can buy fresh soup, sushi, and salads on the go. An additional element that will contribute to consumer convenience is the fact that FreshAteliers are focusing on digitalization. Customers will be able to scan and pay for products with their smartphones. Our Retail team recently installed the third FreshAtelier in the Bascule in Uccle.
Convenience will also become increasingly important when it comes to dining out, for example, in the form of digitization. Online reservations and menus, ordering via app or website… Consumer expectations are constantly evolving. All things considered, restaurant owners will have to make significant investments to keep pace with (or even stay ahead of) customer demand. This financial pressure is often borne abroad by chains. And we’re not just talking about multinationals like McDonald’s or Burger King. Even without consumers knowing, restaurants can be part of such consortia. We’re seeing this increasingly in Belgium as well. Just think of La Taqueria, SumSum, and Sumac in Antwerp’s Zuid district: three completely different products that fall under the same group. Otomat and Baraque Friture are also the brainchildren of the founders of Ellis Gourmet Burger.
It’s clear: the hospitality industry is constantly evolving. Consumers today have a wide range of options to choose from. Competition is growing, and threats no longer come solely from within their own segment. Original, innovative concepts can offer a viable alternative to products or services that have been around for years. Think of home delivery of groceries or restaurant meals, additional options and convenience through digital applications… These factors mean the entire sector must remain vigilant and approach innovation with an open mind. The questions customers are asking extend beyond, for example, “Do I shop at Colruyt or Carrefour?”, “Do we cook ourselves tonight or go out to a restaurant?”…
In today’s wide range of products and services, it is essential that a service or product ends up in the customer’s list of actual choice options. From a list of X existing products and services, the consumer actually only takes Y options into account. After all, unknown is unloved. The customer cannot choose an alternative that he is not familiar with. The barrier to purchase is also (unconsciously) higher for an option of which the name is known but of which one has never purchased or used, etc. These barriers can be lowered by, among other things, introducing the customer to a particular service or product in a fun way. For example, HelloFresh offers competitions where people can test a box for a reduced price. An attractive design of the product or service can also help. Think of the image of, for example, Deliveroo: young, hip and an environmentally conscious approach through bicycle transport.
Moreover, customers are becoming increasingly assertive, and expectations are evolving and increasing, driven by factors such as e-commerce and globalization. How can a product or service continue to stand out, even when it’s already on the customer’s shortlist? The answer is simple: in 2019, the focus should be on “convenience” and “fresh.”
Looking for advice on your concept? Don’t hesitate to contact our Retail team!