On my latest trip to Germany, I was accompanied by Cameron Martin from IGD’s Away-from-home team which saw us visit operators across grocery retail and AFH.  

The experience highlighted how increasingly blurred the boundaries between the two sectors have become. Grocery retailers are expanding their food-for-now ranges, while away-from-home operators are using technology, loyalty and delivery to make their propositions more convenient. 

However, succeeding in food for now requires more than simply adding products to a fixture. Away-from-home operators build their propositions around clearly defined customer missions, operational simplicity and an engaging experience.  

As retailers look to capture more immediate-consumption occasions, there are several lessons they can take from the operators we visited. 

Specialise in less to mean more 

Some of the strongest food-to-go concepts we visited had relatively small menus but executed every item consistently well. One example was the Schnitzery, which builds its proposition around schnitzel served in a limited number of formats, including bowls, wraps and sandwiches.  

Grocery retailers often try to satisfy every possible shopper need, resulting in excessive SKU counts, duplication and slower decision-making at the fixture. A focused range of distinctive, popular products simplifies choice, improves quality perceptions and reduces waste and complexity. 

Retailers should focus on priority missions and their strongest products to improve shopper experience, productivity and profitability. 

Use independent operators to identify emerging food trends 

Independent AFH operators are often well placed to experiment with unfamiliar ingredients, cuisines and formats. Their smaller scale enables them to respond quickly to emerging trends, while visually distinctive products can generate significant attention through social media and word of mouth. 

One of the most memorable products from the trip came from an unassuming street-food hatch selling inari: pockets of fried tofu filled with sushi rice and a range of toppings. We subsequently saw the product appearing as a ‘new item’ within sushi concessions in REWE and Edeka stores, demonstrating how ideas can move from independent foodservice into mainstream grocery retail. 

Independent operators can help retailers identify emerging shopper tastes before they become mainstream. Acting early keeps ranges relevant, attracts trend-conscious shoppers and drives excitement and repeat visits. 

Build meal deals around complete shopper missions 

Across the AFH operators we visited, bundled offers were commonly used to bring together a main item and drink at an attractive combined price.  

Meal deals are well established in some grocery markets but remain underdeveloped across parts of Europe. They offer an opportunity to meet different eating occasions and shopper needs across the day. 

Meal deals simplify choice and demonstrate value, while increasing basket size, cross-category sales and margins. They should offer clear value and enough choice while remaining simple to communicate and operate. 

Use digital ordering to improve efficiency and personalisation 

Digital ordering screens were present in almost every away-from-home location we visited in Frankfurt. Moving ordering and payment away from the counter frees colleagues to prepare food, maintain standards and support customers. 

For retailers, self-ordering technology can reduce queues, improve accuracy and manage peak demand. 

Digital menus can encourage add-on purchases while making offers easier to navigate through dietary filters, product information and language options. 

The greatest opportunity comes from using the technology to improve the experience rather than adding another layer of complexity. A simple, responsive ordering journey can improve shopper experience, transaction values and labour productivity. 

Create environments that shoppers remember 

AFH operators recognise that the environment is part of the product. One of the clearest examples from the trip was Smashed Kofte, which has a playful décor and old Pac-Man arcade machines. The machines added a sense of nostalgia and gave customers something to do while waiting for their food. 

Grocery retailers do not need to recreate a restaurant inside every store, but food-for-now spaces should stand out from conventional aisles, using engaging design and food theatre to signal freshness. 

A memorable environment helps retailers compete with foodservice operators by enhancing quality perceptions, increasing dwell time and generating social media awareness. 

The environment should reinforce what is distinctive about the offer. Rather than adding decoration for its own sake, retailers should create spaces that communicate the proposition clearly and make ordering, collecting and consuming food more enjoyable. 

Connect food for now with loyalty 

Rimini Pizza offered customers a free pizza when they signed up for its app, providing an immediate and easily understood incentive to join. The app could then be used to communicate further offers and encourage repeat visits. 

Grocery retailers already have loyalty scheme memberships, but food for now is not always fully integrated into these programmes. There is an opportunity to create rewards specifically around hot food, coffee, bakery and food-to-go purchases, helping retailers build habitual visits outside the traditional weekly shop. 

For example, targeted incentives could encourage shoppers to visit at quieter times, try a newly launched product or add a drink or snack to their usual purchase. Digital stamp cards and personalised challenges could also reward frequency, making the retailer a more regular destination for breakfast or lunch. 

Connecting food for now with loyalty helps retailers improve ranges and promotions, while turning occasional purchases into repeat visits that increase retention and customer value. 

Unlock convenience through quick commerce 

Quick-commerce operators used sign-up offers and dedicated collection points to drive trial while reducing congestion and disruption. 

As grocery retailers expand through rapid delivery platforms, they need to consider how online demand affects the physical store. Orders should be picked, prepared and handed over through a process that minimises interference with shopper and store colleagues. Dedicated preparation areas, collection points or external hatches could help retailers increase delivery volumes without creating congestion at checkouts or food counters. 

Quick commerce can give food-for-now ranges access to additional occasions, particularly when customers want an immediate meal but do not want to leave their home or workplace. Retailers can also combine prepared food with complementary grocery products, creating a broader basket than a restaurant or takeaway may be able to offer. 

Bringing the lessons together 

Leading AFH operators combine focused ranges, distinctive products, technology and memorable experiences to make choice easy and convenient.  

Grocery retailers that apply these principles across food for now can improve productivity, reduce waste and increase spend, frequency and loyalty.