‘Grab and go’ is a market which has recently become hugely popular amongst customers who need a quick and filling lunch whilst on the go or during break times at work when time is limited.
Both the hot and cold grab and go market in the UK is worth approximately £20 billion per year and will most likely continue to grow as we, as a nation, becoming increasingly busier. Simply picking up a sandwich, drink and a snack and paying with the swipe of a card or even your phone is becoming the quickest way for us to eat on the move.
The growing popularity of grab and go
In years gone by, the option for a lot of grab and go style establishments would have been simply a sandwich and a drink. Today, grab and go displays are in use 24-hours a day, with products varying during those times to keep up with customers’ expectations. If you visit any establishment which has a grab and go section, you will now find a wide variety of products that are on offer providing breakfast, lunch, snacks and drinks within supermarkets, cafes and work canteens.
There are a multitude of products currently on offer from chilled and heated displays including the likes of sandwiches, wraps, salads, pasta, sushi within the chilled displays and pies, pasties, chicken, burgers, noodle dishes and ribs in the hot units. Products that work best in the grab and go offerings have proved to be the ones on a quick restocking turnaround.
This upturn has caused an improvement in the grab and go displays being manufactured to make them both more appealing to the customer and to highlight the products in a much more eye-catching way, as well as being more efficient energy wise.
Promoting grab and go
Being bespoke counter specialists, Proline have previously carried out counter projects within grab and go type establishments including cafes, canteens and restaurants across a wide range of sectors, so our team know quite a lot about this popular ever-growing market.
To increase turnover, the use of ticketing strips is a good way for operators to highlight their meal deal offers and show clearly to the customer what products are included in the offer. Lighting within the units can also benefit operators by enhancing the products as well as using distinct colours of LED lighting, which Proline can offer to customers if this is something they require.
Using enhanced lighting and clear identification on ticketing strips will benefit the customer in being able to choose the right product if the goods are displayed correctly. A lot of units now have identification on bulkheads above the displays identifying hot and cold choices, which make it easier from a distance for the customer to choose their product.
Getting the grab and go offering right
In order for grab and go to work successfully, no matter what operation it may be located in, there are certain things to consider. From a product perspective, it is important to stock the right products at the right time and always look for the next best seller. There is a lot of competition within the grab and go market and being ahead of the game is vital.
From a display perspective however, Proline recommend considering a range of features that you can incorporate into your counter or display which we are pleased to offer customers. Features such as lighting and having a section for ticketing strips, as mentioned above, which are bright and bold, can all work really effectively in drawing the customer in and purchasing products from the grab and go section.
If you would like to find out more on how Proline can assist you with your next grab and go project, get in touch with our team on 0151 548 1976 or drop us an email at info@prolinecorp.co.uk