<p>By: Andrew Brown, Senior Manager, Industry Relations, FMI</p><p>Retailers are redefining how, where, and why they serve food — and it’s not just about adding a hot bar or selling pre-packed meals. Foodservice at retail is becoming a strategic growth engine that deserves focused attention and industry collaboration. That’s why last year FMI launched the Foodservice at Retail Leadership Council — a new member-driven community dedicated to shaping the future of fresh, convenient and prepared food experiences in grocery.</p><p>Every year, the group gets together for an immersive in-person experience. This year, we gathered in White Plains, N.Y., where Council members explored best-in-class formats and shared candid perspectives on what’s working — and what’s not. Our two-day itinerary included tours of DeCicco & Sons, Wegmans and Stew Leonard’s, each offering unique approaches to signature items, cross-department collaboration and customer-facing innovation.</p><p><img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/foodservice-council-retreat-stews.jpg?sfvrsn=3971cb1e_1" alt="Foodservice at Retail Leadership Council" sf-size="100" /></p><p> </p><p>From observing how stores integrate fresh-prepped meals into the broader grocery experience, to spotting clever tech that helps staff deliver consistently high-quality, it became clear: there is no one-size-fits-all solution. But there is a shared hunger for knowledge, strategy and connection.</p><p>That’s where the Foodservice at Retail Leadership Council comes in. Members will guide FMI’s work in this space — from research initiatives to shared challenges like labor, operations and digitization. We previewed the forthcoming "Framework for Foodservice at Retail Success" white paper, created in partnership with Kearney, and gathered input on where members most want to dive deeper. <strong>Spoiler:</strong> Value, signature offerings and production models are at the top of my mind.</p><p>FMI’s <a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/store/ProductFormPublic/power-of-foodservice-at-retail-2024"><em>Power of Foodservice at Retail 2024</em></a> report shows that nearly a third of consumers (29%) say they’re pulling back from restaurants and turning to grocery stores for convenient meal solutions. Prepared foods are gaining share across all dayparts, with dinner (37%), lunch (35%), and even breakfast (22%) emerging as key opportunities. Shoppers cited taste, value and experience as primary reasons for choosing food service in retail, proving the importance of this moment.</p><p>With deli-prepared foods and retail foodservice projected to grow significantly in the coming years, your team should consider whether now is the time to develop this department in your market. Whether your organization is already innovating in this space or just starting to explore it, this Council offers a powerful platform for ideas, benchmarking and progress.</p><p>If you’re an FMI member interested in participating or simply want to learn more, please contact me directly or connect with me on LinkedIn. Let’s build this together.</p><p><a href="mailto:abrown@fmi.org" class="button">Contact Andrew</a> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fmi-andrew" target="_blank" class="button-secondary">Connect on LinkedIn</a></p>
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