Learning from Irish retail: building success in food-to-go

Irealnd is a long-standing global reference market for food-to-go in retail and it is one that continues to evolve. Over many years we've witnessed and showcased the extent of the food-to-go focus across retailers, whether in city centre, neighbourhood or roadside locations. And groups we take to Ireland are constantly impressed by the level of development and the focus on the category.

A variety of retailers have been able to make food-to-go an intrinsic part of their proposition in a way that few in other markets have been able to achieve. Most of our articles on the Dublin market explore latest concepts and initiatives, but here we wanted to take a different approach, stripping things back to some of the core principles driving longer term success, drawn from our broader insights around how to win in food-to-go. Here are our five starting points:

1. Commit to the longer term food-to-go opportunity

Consumers buy fresh food from businesses they trust. They will take time to understand and buy into a new food-to-go proposition - treating its introduction just like any other product on the shelf therefore significantly reduces its chances of success. This is about showing you have a solution and then finding the fit with your customers' needs and lives. Many, many examples across the island of Ireland and beyond prove it can work, but it's unlikely to be an overnight success. If you're serious about food-to-go, build a long term plan around what this will include and how it will look and feel. Of course, having a sound business plan in place, and understanding production costs and methods, targeted margin and acceptable waste levels at different stages post-launch all play a role in this part.

2. Make the offer easy to see and to shop

Food-to-go is often an impulse mission. It's also one that, done well, should showcase the store and draw customers in to buy both from the range itself and the broader range of products in-store. So getting the approach right here - and ensuring the external visibility of the range - is important.

3. Messaging matters in food-to-go - consider how you're communicating the offer and the opportunities for sub brand usage or development

This isn't just about the products themselves, it's also about the broader production process, the quality and origin of the ingredients, and the overall positioning of the solutions. Some of the sub brand development around coffee that we've seen in Ireland, not least from the likes of Musgrave with Frank & Honest and Applegreen with Braeburn, picks up strongly on the latter point.

4. Build an offer that meets lunch and snacking needs - and ideally breakfast as well

Mission-led thinking in other words is key. There's also a degree of analysis of your customer base that's required here, are they under time pressure and simply after a speedy in and out experience, or have you got scope to develop it beyond this? Seating can transform a proposition's appeal, but only if it's done well.

5. Once launched, continue to nurture and develop

Newness and inspiration matters a lot in food-to-go - it's a value add product, in a market in which there is a wide range of competition. Using seasonal ingredients, adding new products and deals around specific (local or global) events, and maintaining a regular programme of freshening up the range is always important. This need not all be done in house, but it does need to be considered up front proactively as part of a structured longer term plan rather than be a reaction-based approach on an ad hoc basis.

So what does that mean for you?

We continue to see huge potential for food-to-go in retail across a wide range of markets and channels. Ultimately it can become an intrinsic part of your DNA, a key differentiator and something through which you're able to create close personal connections with your customers. Of course, this article only covers a few of the relevant points around this, but hopefully some useful ones. We're of the view that food-to-go can be the lens through which your entire proposition is seen - do it well, and it opens up a host of new opportunities. Do it badly, and you risk facing the challenge of dwindling core footfall.

You've read the article, what will you do next?

a) think that's good to know, file it deep inside your brain

b) book on the next flight to Dublin for yourself or

c) consider how bringing your team to visit could stepchange your approach to the food-to-go opportunity

d) think about this alongside the broader inspiration and trends-awareness that is intrinsic to setting up a successful, long-term food-to-go programme...

If you answered b), c) or d), let's talk. Get in touch gavin@foodfuturesinsights.com 

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