For some people, the news that both Target and Whole Foods are moving into the grab-and-go segment might feel like a threat. But for savvy c-store owners, it’s something else entirely: an opportunity.
When big players like Target and Whole Foods make a move, it behooves everyone in the food-sales industry to take notice. After all, they wouldn’t be doing so unless it’s likely to be highly profitable. And that certainly looks to be the case, as there’s been a 15% increase in prepared meals and snacks since 2010 and 25% of millennials eat in their cars on a daily basis.
Fortunately, convenience stores are perfectly positioned to take advantage of this opportunity. Nearly half of their customers are already purchasing food or beverage items.
More than ever before, customers are driven by convenience; they want what they want when they want it, and where. And, so, to keep up with consumer demand, restaurants and convenience stores need to begin serving up their offerings outside of their own walls.
The term “off-premises” refers to delivery, takeout, and catering experiences. An off-premises interaction is one in which a customer is receiving and consuming food or goods outside of the restaurant or c-store.
The challenge for c-stores, and for restaurants especially, is to maintain the positive brand experience—and collect the essential customer data—when the entire interaction is taking place outside of their walls.
For the most part, the guest engagement drops to just two critical touch points: the point of order (whether online or over the phone) and the time of distribution (either pick-up or delivery). […]
Whether catering is already an established part of your restaurant or a new addition, offering your catering customers a rewards program designed just for them is a great way to grow a loyal repeat customer base. Restaurant catering is a $33 billion industry, so it makes sense that casual, fast casual, and quick-service restaurants are making catering loyalty programs a priority.
Why Catering Loyalty?
For restaurants that don’t already offer catering, launching a catering program provides a steady flow of sales. It also provides excellent opportunities to reach new audiences and grow awareness of your brand among those who might experience your brand for the first time at a catered event. The average business spends $1,100 per month on catering, with average orders over $200. Thirty percent of catering customers order weekly, and twenty percent of them order multiple times per week.
That steady flow of reliable large orders could be a huge boost to your sales. By gaining even one or two new catering customers per week, you can reduce the strain of trying to acquire over twenty individual new guests. Pairing a top-notch experience with a rewards program specifically for your catering customers is a great way to grow loyalty and inspire repeat purchases.
Driving Loyalty Through Catering Rewards
The nature of catering makes it necessary for you to develop a separate rewards program for your catering business. If you have a rewards program for individual orders where for every ten orders you get one free, applying that to catering might result in a free order worth hundreds of dollars, revenue you don’t want to miss out on. Here are a few ways you can use a catering rewards program to drive loyalty: […]
If 2018 continued the trend of disruption for convenience stores—with things like Amazon Go stores opening at a steady pace and frictionless shopping gaining traction—convenience store marketing trends for 2019 all have to do with capitalizing on those disruptions.
Our team has identified seven can’t-ignore trends that represent a tremendous opportunity to increase brand loyalty and increased revenue. Planning for (and taking advantage of) these marketing strategies now will help ensure that your store’s biggest “trend” for 2020 is consistent growth.
Whether catering is already an established part of your restaurant or a new addition, offering your catering customers a rewards program designed just for them is a great way to grow a loyal repeat customer base. Restaurant catering is a $33 billion industry, so it makes sense that casual, fast casual, and quick-service restaurants are making catering loyalty programs a priority.