Brilliant basics are key to sales drive
As a first-time visitor to the Greets Inn, the first thing you experience is, as the name above the door would suggest, a warm and hearty greeting.
Duncan and Natalie Entwistle, a husband-and-wife team, are both from established corporate hospitality backgrounds, and they not only run the day-to-day operational side of the pub, but are fine hosts to locals in the small village of Warnham, West Sussex.
This is just one competitive advantage they need to offer as the Greets Inn is competing with another village pub and social club that service the same potential customer base.
Duncan and Natalie want their pub to be known for great food and a warm welcome, not only to attract local custom, but also people from beyond the village. Perhaps surprisingly, soft drinks can help with this.
Soft drinks are already important to the Greets Inn’s offer, but they can play a greater role to assist Duncan and Natalie’s appetite to
grow their lunch-time trade and attract more families into the pub.
Executing ‘brilliant basics’ and using the right promotional activity to drive footfall were two of the key opportunities we discussed. We agreed on a robust action plan to help increase soft-drinks sales and drive customer footfall, the results of which, I hope, will deliver great success for them both.
ACTION 1: Right Range, Right Price
The Greets Inn stocks a comprehensive choice of soft drinks. However, it has a great opportunity to increase sales and profit by delivering greater consistency across the size of serve and the prices it charges.
Currently, a customer who orders a Cola is served a 200ml Cola mixer and pays £1.45. A 330ml bottle of water is £1.75 and a 275ml juice drink serve is £2.25. Offering a larger Cola, a 330ml bottle, and aligning the retail price to what customers currently pay for water or a juice drink will not only increase customers’ value for money, but will also improve sales and profit.
Action Plan
Duncan decided to list the 330ml bottle and review his retail price of Cola in line with the rest of his range. He will also trial branded glassware to further boost his customers’ value-for-money perception and quality experience.
ACTION 2: Visibility on Tables
Food is seen as an important growth engine for the Greets Inn. Diners receive table service so purchase decisions are typically made at the table and not at the bar. Couple this with limited back-bar space and Duncan and Natalie need to make use of opportunities to communicate their soft-drinks range, including displaying a soft-drinks menu.
Action Plan
Duncan will work with CCE to create a soft-drinks menu that will include branded visibility, as research shows this can increase category uplift by between 5% and 9%. Menus will be in the pub and on garden tables at lunchtime when incidence of soft drinks with food is highest to capitalise on this opportunity.
ACTION 3: Increasing footfall
As we approach Christmas, Duncan and Natalie’s thoughts have turned to how they can maximise footfall during this
key trading time.
While pre-bookings have started, Duncan and Natalie are keen to continue to generate new footfall and repeat visits.
For anyone visiting the pub from outside the village this Christmas, getting there safely and driving responsibly will be a key consideration.
A designated driver scheme offering free soft drinks at key trading periods such as Christmas and the new year can encourage more people to visit, stay longer and puts the pub at the heart of the community.
Action Plan
Duncan agreed to trial Coca-Cola’s Designated Driver scheme, which is part of an ongoing partnership with the Department for Transport’s Driver Friendly campaign.
