In addition to gaining access to more innovative products, Bishop says supermarkets benefit from the equity of the restaurant brand and its ability to draw customers. Restaurants, in turn, gain new, high-traffic locations and additional channels of distribution. Even savvy restaurants have plenty of competition when it comes to meal-solutions alliances. One manufacturer of jarred pasta sauce, for instance, has a three-tiered marketing program. Shoppers can buy the ingredients to prepare lasagna using the sauce, pick up a frozen branded lasagna or buy the entree hot and ready to eat.
Unbranded concepts present another opportunity for foodservice companies.
The Arlington, Texas-based company will design a menu for a supermarket and agrees to remain a confidential partner, says Marty Heires, director of corporate communications. Not all grocers are willing to relinquish control of their meal-solutions program. Retailers such as Ukrop's in Virginia and Byerly's in Minneapolis have established strong reputations as meal-solutions leaders. Such proprietary, in-store concepts bear a remarkable resemblance to eating establishments outside the store, and indeed, many retailers admit stealing ideas from nearby restaurants. Daniel Lescoe, senior vice president of merchandising for Big Y Foods in Springfield, Mass., spent several nights dining in area pizza shops in search of the most popular pie.