In an effort to give each department the attention it deserves the new Hy-Vee store in Twin Cities, Minnesota, has separated its meat and seafood counters. While these two departments were "joined at the hip" for many years, the grocery store chain is looking for new ways to differentiate the products it offers in each section.
Now serving as its own department, the Hy-Vee's meat counter offers a wide array of meats and value-added items such as chicken grillers (both seasoned and unseasoned) and dry aged beef. These items come ready-to-cook, helping consumers to cut down on prep time when they purchase meat products. As Jay Marshall, Hy-Vee’s EVP and COO explains, "The closer you can make it to home-prepared, the more you’re going to sell. Our meat department folks love to take produce items and drive sales in meat."
With a growing number of consumers looking to save time in the kitchen, Hy-Vee's ready-to-cook meat products are a hit among consumers
Value-Added Meat Counters
This Twin Cities Hy-Vee Store Separates Seafood from Meat
Trend Themes
1. Ready-to-cook Meat Products - The trend of offering ready-to-cook meat products allows consumers to save time in the kitchen and is a disruptive innovation opportunity for grocery stores.
2. Differentiation in Product Sections - Separating meat and seafood counters is a trend that provides grocery stores with an opportunity to differentiate the products they offer in each section and drive sales.
3. Value-added Meat Counters - Value-added items like chicken grillers and dry aged beef at the meat counter is a trend that attracts consumers and presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for grocery stores.
Industry Implications
1. Grocery Stores - The trend of offering ready-to-cook meat products and differentiating product sections presents disruptive innovation opportunities for grocery stores to attract customers and boost sales.
2. Meat Processing Industry - The trend of value-added meat counters with products like chicken grillers and dry aged beef presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for the meat processing industry to expand their product offering and meet consumer demands for convenient and high-quality meat.
3. Food Retail Industry - The trend of separating meat and seafood counters and offering ready-to-cook meat products provides disruptive innovation opportunities for the food retail industry to enhance the shopping experience, attract customers, and increase sales.