Do you agree that a significant upgrade in prepared food offerings would pay off for grocers? Has cross-merchandising to other departments been a lost opportunity?

Interactive Edge’s CEO, Zel Bianco comments:
Location, location, location! If there are not many choices near a grocer, then it makes total sense to elevate the hot bar area and to cross-merchandise. In a major city like NYC, it is very difficult to compete with the number of options available but not impossible. What most shoppers look for is the quality of the food and quite frankly how fresh it looks. Maintaining hot bars is a critical component of this and only those that do so consistently will have a shot at being successful in competing with restaurants.

Grocers hit restaurants in the gut with hot bars