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Frozen Food

Went on quick grocery run after work yesterday and was glad to see many people with their masks on. It was reassuring and also helped not to stick out. I always look at what is sale in the frozen food aisle even though I rarely buy from there. It serves as an interesting indicator of what the grocer thought would be a hit with their customer base and ended up being a miss. A lot of vegetarian meal options were on sale last night. If I had to guess, the merchandizing was driven by market trend analysis and perceived buyer interest that ended up not squaring with reality.

The fact is if a person is not vegetarian but open to trying it as an option or even has a strong preference for it, if they are at the frozen food aisle on a weeknight chances are that the food has to meet an immediate need. They are likely hungry, had a long day and want to go home eat  and retire for the day. So a meal that looks like it may be too lite or too little will lose over something that is tried and true - involving a familiar protein like poultry or meat. This theory seemed to be borne out in every shelf - empty spaces where the the chicken and meat versions of the product were non-discounted and stacks of the vegetarian options deeply discounted. When a person is hungry and wiped out after the day, its hard to stay true to fads, trends and interests. They need food they are used to. 

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