As the cost-of-living crisis bites we can expect consumers to go out less frequently – a fact recently confirmed by research from hospitality data firm CGA, in which three in five people (60%) said rising costs will lead them to visit venues less often over the next year. However, experience of previous economic downturns also tells us that, when they do come out, they are likely to spend more.

This means pub operators must be primed and ready to drive spend during these visits, as well as delivering customers the best experience possible to encourage them to return.

1. Prompt pre-orders

Before customers have even stepped through your door, there is an opportunity to attract some additional spend.

With people increasingly booking ahead to reserve tables or areas (particularly during busy trading times such as Christmas), operators can make the most of digital booking systems that can be set up to encourage customers to buy extras ahead of their visit.

Think about prompting customers to pre-order bottles of bubbly for the table, some nibbles on arrival or special decorations for the table.

2. Get customers to spend more per visit

For people going out less, a drink or a meal out is even more of an occasion than it used to be and so customers are potentially more open than usual to upselling.

Menus and staff themselves are, of course, a key element of this but technology can play an important role here too.

Handheld ordering devices can prompt waiting staff with relevant sides and extras related to the dishes being ordered – suggesting an upgrade from fries to parmesan fries for example, or a reminder that the cauliflower cheese is a popular add on to a roast dinner. For those ordering at the bar, fixed terminals can be configured to do the same.

3. Leverage the bill

Believe it or not, even settling the bill can be a prime selling opportunity.

While it may be too late to entice customers to purchase anything else on this particular visit, receipts offer prime space in which to highlight promotions and offers to encourage guests back.

Codes for special offers, bounceback deals for the quieter times and, for licensees that also offer takeaway, click & collect or delivery, cross promoting this with a money-off incentive, can all prove lucrative methods for increasing revenue.

4. Drive return visits

Just because customers have left for the night, it doesn’t mean the chance to get them to spend has come to an end. In fact, these days post-visit marketing offers a huge opportunity to drive further customer spend – and you won’t need to spend a fortune on fancy technology to achieve it.

Automated emails can be set up to promote special offers, vouchers and gift cards to give to friends and family. A friendly message reminding them how lonely pubs are during quieter periods and tempting them in with a free drink or money-off promotion can work wonders and, for those with a little budget, SMS text message marketing is making a comeback.

Technology can often seem like an expensive investment or a daunting prospect, but simple solutions can help take the strain and make a genuine difference to the bottom line – something that’s feels more important than ever right now.

Zonal has a wide range of technology solutions designed to make life easier and businesses more profitable. Find out more about our range designed specifically with pub tenants and licensees in mind, here.

Zonal has a wide range of technology solutions designed to make life easier and businesses more profitable. Find out more about our range designed specifically with pub tenants and licensees in mind, here!

With the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, soaring inflation and eye-watering energy bills hitting the retail sector hard, garden centres that are looking to plug the finance gap will need to dig deep in order to unearth new revenue streams and cost savings. With the significant increase in importance of F&B as a revenue driver, it’s important, now more than ever, for F&B managers to control costs.

Technology that has been designed specifically for food and beverage operations will provide a simple and effective way to achieve this.

Waste not, want not

One of the easiest ways to save money is by reducing the amount of stock that goes to waste, of course – and yet it’s so much easier said than done. A digital stock management tool can help, however. Specialist hospitality technology can track stock levels down to every single ingredient and in real time. This becomes particularly important when it comes to keeping costs down but also removes a customer frustration before it has even occurred – our research shows that customers choosing an item from the menu only to be told it is no longer available, is one of the biggest causes of customer frustration.

For venues that use an online purchasing management solution for example, the guesswork is taken out of stock control by providing real-time availability. If implemented into garden centre cafés and restaurants, managers will be able to more easily ensure they are maximising the profitability of each product they stock, giving garden centre café and restaurant managers tighter control over their purchasing. This minimises waste and avoids a situation where cash is tied up in stock.

What’s more, the data collected from a digital inventory assists operators in making smarter decisions for their business, with many operators using this insight to improve profit margins. Such digital solutions also alleviate the use of printed count sheets and manual count entries, saving time and reducing the risk of human error. Consolidating and joining these systems will also highlight where inefficiencies lie, improve reporting at all levels and increase profitability as a result.

Make your profits bloom

As well as helping businesses save money, tech can also help garden centre F&B operations drive revenue. For example, apps have been proven to help hospitality businesses drive sales and research has shown that customers tend to spend more when eating and drinking out when using them. In fact, total monthly spend on apps averages £99.35, against an all-consumer average of £76.47. If customers are pleased with the speed of service on an app, they are more likely to use it again and again. What’s more, if this technology is integrated with an EPoS, waiting staff, where table service is offered, will no longer be required to take orders from one system and input them into the fixed POS terminal, enabling staff to process orders more orders more quickly as well as efficiently.

Linking an EPoS system to a digital loyalty scheme is another easy way to drive revenue in the F&B arm of a garden centre business. While printed stamp cards or physical loyalty cards have worked for some time, tech can help garden centre F&B managers maximise the opportunities offered through digital loyalty schemes – apart from anything else digital loyalty schemes don’t get lost or relegated to a forgotten pocket.

Our research has shown that 49% of consumers in Britain think loyalty schemes are important to them when choosing which hospitality venue to visit —and that rises to nearly two thirds (63%) of 18- to 24-year-olds[1]. Digital loyalty schemes allow customers to store their digital card, offers and more on their phone, meaning they are more likely to come in and make the most of the promotions and deals offered to them. What’s more, if a business can offer bespoke deals and promotions based on a customer’s preferences and previous spend habits, they may be more inclined to use the scheme repeatedly.

Sales data that goes through the EPoS can then be used to create bespoke offers and promotions on products relevant to an individual customer on. The system also enables operators to plan ahead and set up future promotions with scheduled go-live dates to make the most of key trading times and occasions. Garden centre F&B operations can use this as a golden opportunity to gain a competitive edge by learning more about their customers so they can engage, surprise and delight them time and time again.

There are also ways that technology can help garden centre F&B managers upsell. Online booking systems, for example, help to reduce customer frustration when forced to queue for a table, but they also provide garden centre restaurants and cafés with a fantastic opportunity to upsell and offer customers extra products when they are about to confirm their booking. F&B managers can add in the option for customers to pre-book their orders, offer deals on certain products and lots more, encouraging customers to increase basket spend.

No one will argue that times are tough – and about to get tougher – but garden centre F&B operations that harness the power of specialist hospitality tech will be those who don’t just survive but thrive.

[1] Zonal and CGA’s GO Technology survey, January 2021

About Zonal

Zonal’s experience in garden centres, combined with our roots in hospitality, enable us to work in partnership with retail operators to grow F&B profits, streamline restaurant operations and provide a first-class customer service.

If you would like to find out more, check out Zonal’s dedicated Garden Centre page, where you’ll find a variety of resources including top tips, insight and advice from industry experts, the benefits technology can have for your business and how operators just like you are using technology in their F&B operations.