Food for thought
The following article is brought to you by Coca-Cola.
Recognising customer occasions can do wonders for your profits - especially when you spice up your food offers with a shot of brand power.
- A big night out
- A sociable get-together
- Meeting friends
- Quiet drinks
- Eating out
These are the key occasions that bring customers into your bar. An increasing number of these occasions will involve food in some way. It might be a lunchtime meal, a quick snack after work, an evening dinner or even a family Sunday lunch.
Whatever the occasion, they all present a profitable opportunity. Pub food sales have gone up by 43 per cent in the last five years.* To cash in on this growth, you need to recognise and respond to the changing needs of your customers with innovative ideas, quality and value. And with more and more lunchtime customers in particular opting for non-alcoholic alternatives, soft drinks are increasingly important for delivering profit in today's pub.
Sales up by 10%
Recently Scottish and Newcastle took a fresh look at its lunchtime competition including high street retailers. As a result, it produced a new lunchtime offer and introduced promotional signage to 125 outlets. The results were impressive - a 10% increase in lunchtime sales. Utilising the power of consumer choice brands was a vital element of that success.
A quality focus
John Clements, national sales controller with Scottish & Newcastle Retail, said: "Our strategy is to build quality - and that can only be done with quality brands. But in the case of soft drinks, the pub trade frequently offers customers brands they wouldn't drink at home."
What's in a name? - Profit!
John goes on to point out the financial advantages of brand power. He said: "Soft drinks are our third largest profit generator but they don't often get their fair share of voice and space. When we added packaged Fanta, Sprite and J2O to our displays, total soft drink sales rose by seven per cent - outstanding results for the current economic climate."
Mix and match occasions
It isn't just with food that quality brand soft drinks deliver dividends. One of the most profitable serves behind the bar is the spirit and branded mixer - an important combination for many an occasion, especially friends getting together, a celebration or just a quiet drink. Think about what your pub is doing to encourage these money-spinners. Do you promote and serve them in way that makes your customers come back for more - or is your offer just a quick splash from a dispenser? Quality is important to discerning customers.
"Quality brands matter to customers. So why offer them brands they wouldn't choose for themselves?"John Clements, national sales controller, S&N Retail
* Mintel: Pub & catering July 2002** S&N Retail April 2003
Top tips for higher profits
- Recognise customer occasions
- Research competitor offers and respond with attractive offers to suit your markets
- Use quality brands to enhance your offer
- Introduce packaged soft drinks to your displays.
The classic Gordons Gin and Schweppes Tonic - appealing and much more rewarding than its pre-mixed equivalent.
"Thirty-two per cent of all pub visits now involve eating"The Publican Newspaper, (March 2002)
