How to execute a winning food-to-go category

Springtime in Europe means the opportunity for city dwellers to enjoy their lunches on sunny patches of grass or benches scattered across parks. Retailers take advantage of this by providing outstanding food-to-go offerings; Switzerland and Austria stand out, having developed banners and offerings that suit the ever-growing demand for convenience.

gooods, Zurich

With a focus on healthy and sustainable food, Migros’ gooods store is a must-visit if in Zurich.

One of only two in the country, the food-to-go chiller sits at the heart of the store, surrounded by fresh fruit, bakery, coffee machines and hot food.

Shoppers with time on their hands can take advantage of the dining area with views onto Lake Zurich.

Coop Fooby, Zurich

A little further up the road, closer to the hustle and bustle of the Opera House square, Coop Schweiz opened one of only 3 Fooby stores in the country. The blend of retail and in-store dining here is executed beautifully; self-serve chillers and hot food and soup sit next to a broad seating area. This is paired with a fresh pasta serviced counter where shoppers can pick their own type and sauce, cooked to order.

The food offering is complemented by organic coffee machines and juicers, bringing shoppers a fresh experience.

avec, Zurich

With the new “the Kitchen” concept, the avec store on Freiestrasse is the first to be situated in a residential area, with all other stores in travel hubs. The focus is on food-to-go, with features like the American bakery and coffee machines complementing a range of freshly “handmade with love” products.

The hot food offering of products like döners and burgers is a crowd hit, with special offers for different days of the week and the ability to pre-order online in the runup to lunch.

A credible range of other categories covering essential needs is also available in store, drawing a further distinction between this and other avec formats.

Interspar Schottentor, Vienna

While analysts are not supposed to have favourites, Spar Austria’s flagship is in the top 10 for me. A dedicated food-to-go section opposite the checkouts features self-service chillers, serviced hot and cold food counters, and the in-store bakery.

Navigation is made easy with top-line signage for categories, featuring a broad selection of private label products. Electronic shelf label surrounds signpost vegetarian/vegan products and special offers, supporting mission and value-driven shoppers.

Drinks on ice and effective cross-merchandising to encourage impulse purchases and trade-ups.

Billa-To-Go

The REWE Group’s standalone convenience concept in Vienna is a strong example of how a compact offering of food-to-go and essentials meets demand from shoppers.

Private label products focus on ongoing trends, such as world foods and high protein, with product credentials prominently displayed on packaging.

An all-day offer of coffee for €1 competes with other retailers and local cafes and helps drive footfall.

What you can learn from these countries’ execution:

• Put food-to-go where people can’t miss it (front-of-store or by checkouts), then complement it with coffee, bakery and fruit.

• Keep the range simple: clear dayparts, a tight SKU list of favourites, and ruthless on-shelf availability.

• Use counters only where they earn their keep (fast, high-volume, worth a premium). Consider only having them open at specific times of day.

• Let own label shine—especially in protein, world flavours and plant-based—and make the credentials easy to spot.

• Go hard on price for select products (like €1 coffee), then grow the basket with add-ons, trade-ups and meal-deals.