In the retail food industry, innovation and efficiency in foodservice equipment are essential to meeting consumers’ evolving demands, while maintaining a high level of quality and convenience.
PHT Systems aims to empower retailers by providing the foodservice resources and technology to help them thrive in this competitive market. This year, the PHT Systems team attended the National Co+op Grocers (NCG): Focus on Fresh Conference and the UNFI Holiday and Winter Show. At each conference, we gained unique insights into the foodservice sector, including three takeaways that shed light on the direction the industry is moving and trends in food retail.
3 Takeaways on Where the Foodservice Retail Industry is Headed
1. Hot & Ready Meals Are First Choice
There’s been an increase in sales of hot and ready meals to take home, and they are often a more affordable option for consumers than a delivery meal service because they cut out the extra fees.
Retailers who want to meet this growing demand will need a way to showcase their “meals made easy” items. Catch the attention of customers as they walk through your store by displaying your grab-and-go meals in a Fri-Jado hot and cold merchandiser or supermarket display case. With heated, cold, and ambient options, your food will never look more tasty.
2. Versatile Equipment Is a Necessity
Retailers continue to look for equipment that will help them provide high quality food items while also saving on labor costs. Investing in equipment that can do more than one job is a great solution to streamline operations and save valuable hood space without compromising on food variety and quality.
An auto-clean rotisserie oven from Fri-Jado, for example, will save labor time and money, and provides cooking versatility with varying racking options and stackable designs. Rotisol rotisseries are also a great addition to your supermarket with their eye-catching design to pull in customers.
The Henny Penny smart combi oven is the king of versatility and ease, allowing for multiple cooking methods within one appliance, saving valuable kitchen footprint. And each Henny Penny combi oven comes equipped with an automatic self-cleaning system.
3. Fresh Options Will Stand Out
For those looking to distinguish your business, consider adding clean, fresh food options to your menus and food displays to satisfy the growing interest and demand from consumers for clean, healthy foods. These will also attract customers looking to try something unique or new that they can’t easily make at home. Equipment like Citrocasa’s juicers make providing fresh, quality juice easy and profitable in busy retail settings.
The Future of Food Retail Begins with PHT Systems
At PHT Systems, we are committed to driving the future of the foodservice industry by offering cutting-edge equipment solutions that help retailers stay competitive, efficient, and on the cusp of innovation. Whether you want to enhance your ready-to-eat meal offerings, streamline operations with versatile equipment, or attract customers with fresh, clean options, PHT Systems can help.
Ready to see how investing in the right equipment can elevate your business? Contact us today to schedule a consultation or demo to experience the equipment firsthand.