Ross Davison, convenience controller at Kepak Consumer Foods, talks about the impact of the pandemic on demand for food to go, and how retailers can seize the opportunity to make more money from the category.
Food to go and the pandemic
2020 saw a rapid change in consumer behaviour, namely the shift to more home working.
However, there are still 10.6 million people (33% of the total workforce) in key worker occupations and industries who continue to seek meal options throughout the day.
Retailers can appeal to these consumers by stocking a range of products that cover food to go missions throughout the day and offering a 24/7 hot food solution.
Now, with a roadmap outlining the easing of restrictions, retailers have a significant opportunity to make more money from their food to go fixtures with our bespoke range of instore solutions.
The future of food to go
Rustlers now offer an innovative range of branded food to go solutions, with four retail concepts providing the perfect solution for every store.
•Rustlers Microwave (Price: £250 – £450+ VAT including delivery, set up & POS kit)w: 570mm, h: 400mm, d: 520mm
•Rustlers Food to Go Unit (Price: £1,100 + VAT including delivery, set up & POS kit)w: 547mm, h: 2000mm, d: 668mm
•Rustlers Food to Go Unit+ (Price: £1,325 + VAT including delivery, set up & POS kit)w: 800mm, h: 2000mm, d: 800mm
•Rustlers Multi-Station (Price: £1,790 + VAT including delivery, set up & POS kit)w: 1400mm, h: 2200mm, d: 700mm
What can retailers expect from Rustlers new concepts?
We deliver more than just the equipment, working with each retailer on range recommendations and category advice, before providing a dedicated POS kit and installation as part of a tailored package.
Together with our best-selling product range, we are committed to helping retailers develop incremental opportunities from the chiller by providing convenient options that can be enjoyed in and out of the home.
What is unique about Rustlers’ food to go solution?
From a small microwave up to a larger-scale multi-station unit, Rustlers’ in-store cooking solutions can be tailored to satisfy shopper needs and are proven to boost sales whilst removing any concerns over waste and the additional labour costs associated with food-to-go counters.
Shoppers simply select, purchase and heat the Rustlers product in store, meaning there is no risk of hot products going to waste. As the UK’s number one chilled ready meals brand, selling two packs every second, retailers can use Rustlers as a beacon brand to bring more shoppers into store.
What products would you suggest retailers offer alongside a Rustlers Food to Go solution?
The microwaves are pre-programmed to cook the bestselling Rustlers SKUs and can be used to cook other hot food-to-go products for a cross category solution.
The Rustlers range, including our ‘Core 4’ must stock products, fulfils both the functional and emotive needs of shoppers in search of a quick, quality, tasty food to go option and provides options for breakfast, lunch and dinner, making it a really valuable addition to the chiller cabinet.
Rustlers ‘Core 4’ must stock products cover food to go missions throughout the day:
•Rustlers Quarter Pounder: The number one selling micro-snacking product in impulse, selling seven every minute, meeting shopper demand for a classic burger solution.
•Rustlers All Day Breakfast Sausage Muffin: The first dedicated breakfast product in the Rustlers range, it has quickly become one of Rustlers’ top-selling products worth almost £2m in the impulse channel.
•Rustlers Southern Fried Chicken Sub: Ideal as a lunchtime option, it helps the channel compete with popular high street foodservice options in the booming food to go arena.
•Rustlers BBQ Rib: The number one pork product in impulse, the BBQ Rib is worth £2.4m in the impulse channel and in +8% growth year on year.
