Why UK Bakeries Must Get Energy Efficient

Bakeries notoriously use a great deal of energy. As well as basic energy needs — like lighting and heat — they require energy to power ovens, mixers, fridges and freezers. This can often create huge energy bills, while profit margins can shrink due to a rise in energy prices.

Now, more so than ever, it’s important for bakers to assess their energy use and set up steps to make sure they’re more efficient. By doing this, not only can they improve their bottom line, but they can also make their businesses more sustainable —reducing their impact on the environment. 

Fortunately for bakers, there are a lot of ways in which they can save energy. While the changes may seem small, the combined results can be huge. In fact, if a business cuts its energy use by 20 percent, this could represent the same benefit as a five percent increase in sales. So, it really does pay to pay attention to energy waste. 

Ways to become energy efficient include changing equipment, tweaking operations and finding the hidden places where energy is being unnecessarily lost. Gas mains supplier, Flogas, has put together its top tips for UK bakeries to help them save energy and reap the financial and environmental rewards…

Know Your Energy Usage 

Be sure to know you much energy you’re using. The first step to managing your energy is to know how much gas and electricity your bakery uses each year. Only then can you see where efficiencies can be made. Some points of energy waste may seem obvious, such as inefficient equipment, whereas others might be out of sight. Smart meters, for example, will \ show where your biggest energy expenditures are in real time. Once you have a clear picture, you can then make an informed energy reduction plan for maximum impact.    

Do Regular Checks 

It’s vital you don’t miss a trick by ensuring you routinely check your equipment. For example, if your freezer coils get dirty, that could impact energy use by as much as 50 percent. So, regular cleaning will help ensure maximum efficiency. 

Similarly, make sure you keep an eye out for leaky appliances, such as sinks and dishwashers. This could be costing you a fortune without you realising. Regular checks mean you can avoid letting valuable water (and money) drip away. It’s also worth making sure that your heating system is on your checklist. Heating costs can increase by 30 percent or more if the boiler is poorly operated or maintained.

Make Small Changes 

Staff being on board with small changes can make a big difference. For example, create a list of equipment that can be switched off fully after hours (or set to timers) and make sure people get into good energy-use habits.  Ask staff to help check if heat is being unnecessarily wasted, flagging any cold draughts (so they can be fitted with draught strips or seals). Or check that windows aren’t being left open during the heating season and turn down the thermostat, instead.

Invest in Energy Efficient Equipment

Have a positive impact on your operating expenses by purchasing energy efficient machines and appliances. Baking is typically the most energy0-intensive process in the production of baked goods, so an efficient oven is likely to deliver some of the biggest savings. 

Lighting is another aspect that can make a huge difference. For example, efficient LEDs use around 80 percent less electricity than standard bulbs and provide a long lifespan of around 50,000 hours. The Carbon Trust has a Green Business Fund, providing independent advice and procurement support for small-medium-sized business looking to make energy-saving equipment purchases. 

Why UK Bakeries Must Get Energy Efficient posted first on happyhourspecialsyum.blogspot.com

MRM Research Roundup: End-of-January 2019/Super Bowl Edition

This edition of Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine's Research Roundup features digital trends, drone delivery trends and  a super amount of Super Bowl stats.

Restaurant Digital Trends

BentoBox released its 2018 Year in Review, a comprehensive look at digital trends in the restaurant industry. The following insights were gathered from over 3,100 restaurants, 59,000 online transactions, 530,000 menu items, and 210 million restaurant website visits. 

Key takeways include:

• 58 percent of website visits are made on mobile devices, up eight percent since 2017

  

• 12.5 percent is the average tipping amount online
• 15 reservations per day are booked through a restaurant’s website
• Monday is the busiest day for online catering orders, while 11:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. is the busiest time during the week
• Donuts are  the most-liked food restaurants post on Instagram

BentoBox’s CEO Krystle Mobayeni said, “We’ve seen consumers continue to prioritize community and invest in local business, allowing restaurants to become their own lifestyle brands, extending their offerings beyond the meal. From eCommerce to entertainment to social engagement, a website is a crucial platform that allows a restaurant’s brand to grow while impacting their bottom line and creating more opportunities to connect with guests.”

Read more about BentoBox’s 2018 trends and data insights here.

State of Delivery

Motus' 2019 State of Delivery Trend Report revealed that though workers for use of their personal vehicles for business, 82 percent of employers don’t ask workers to track mileage in any way, 39 percent reimburse their delivery workers with a flat amount, 24 percent include the use of employee vehicles and vehicle-related expenses in the employee’s wage and 10 percent reimburse employees for mileage.

The report provides examples of major U.S. cities where using a flat amount per delivery can impact delivery workers’ actual wage. For example, when a flat amount is paid per delivery in New York, NY, the high costs of driving in the city significantly decreases the average delivery worker’s take-home wage.

Additional findings in the 2019 State of Delivery Trend Report include:

• 31 percent of employers said that the most important factor when hiring a delivery worker is finding someone with the ability to represent the brand well. 25 percent cited a safe driving record, 22 percent pointed to availability, 10 percent value a driver’s ownership of a vehicle, 8 percent relevant experience and 4 percent cited other factors as the most important to consider when hiring delivery workers.
• An overwhelming majority of employers use their own employees to deliver their goods and services (79 percent). However, at the same time, many have started to explore the world of using third-party vendors, contractors or gig workers to deliver goods (21 percent). 
• Employers are largely undecided about whether they’d hire on-demand or gig workers to deliver their goods. 28 percent said they would hire gig delivery workers, 38 percent said they would not and 34 percent admitted they were unsure.
• 86 percent of respondents reimburse or credit customers for incorrect orders or late deliveries. Incorrect orders/late deliveries cost 60 percent of businesses $100 or less each month, but for an unlucky 20 percent, these costs balloon to in between $100 and $500 a month.

Drone Delivery Market

According to Coherent Market Insights, the global delivery drones market is projected to exhibit an impressive CAGR of 22.3 percent over the forecast period (2018 – 2026).

Increasing usage and adoption of drones in e-commerce/ quick service and restaurants/ healthcare supplies, and introduction of hybrid drones for transportation and logistics sector are some major factors driving growth of the delivery drones market. Moreover, increasing delivery drone fleet sizes due to expanding geographical reach by e-commerce service providers such as Amazon, Google, and UPS are expected to aid in growth of the delivery drones market during the forecast period.

Complex terrain and limited range of drones are some major factors restraining growth of the market, owing to lack of capability to drop the product at exact locations in dense and low connectivity areas such as rural and mountain areas. The limited range and lesser flight time of delivery drone is expected to be a negative factor, which will impact the delivery drones market during the forecast period.

The global delivery drones market is segmented on the basis of drone type, application, component, and region. Among drone type, rotor blade segment held the dominant position in the market in 2017, owing to its high quality of vertical take-off and landing capability, ease of use, and enhanced control and stability to hover in air.

Among application, e-commerce segment held the dominant position in the market in 2017, and is expected to retain its position throughout the forecast period. This is owing to high usage of drones in e-commerce industry for delivery of products in rural areas, where transportation vehicle cannot be reached or takes longer time. Furthermore, increasing e-commerce sector is expected to propel growth and adoption of delivery drones in different regions. Moreover, e-commerce companies are focusing on availing approvals for usage of drones for product delivery at different countries by the respective government, wherever restrictions or ban on use of drones is imposed under certain circumstances. For instance, in 2016, Amazon signed a contract with the UK government to test the usage of drones for product delivery in the country and in December 2016, the company delivered its first product (Amazon Fire TV streaming device and a bag of popcorn) with drone in the UK.

North America was the dominant region in the global delivery drones market in 2017, and is projected to maintain its dominance during the forecast period, owing to increasing use of delivery drones for commercial as well as military applications (medic supplies) in the region. Moreover, North America is expected to be the second fastest growing region for delivery drones market, owing to increasing production and deliveries of drones in the region for commercial purposes.

Furthermore, increasing adoption and usage of drones in China by e-commerce vendors such as JD.com and Alibaba are fueling the Asia Pacific delivery drones market in the region. Right now JD.com has around 40 delivery drones, which deliver various products at different locations in China. The market is expected to witness a CAGR of 22.3 percent during the forecast period (2018–2026), owing to increasing adoption of drones in the e-commerce transportation & logistics industry

Increase in demand for drones with higher payload capacity, higher range, and increased flight time for delivery of products such as e-commerce industry are some major factors driving growth of the market. Moreover, stringent government laws for drones in different regions act as a restraining growth of the market. For instance, government of various countries such as India, Argentina, Cuba, Slovenia, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Barbados, and Uzbekistan does not allow the usage of drones for commercial purposes in their countries

Some of the major players operating in the global delivery drones market include The Boeing Company, Airbus SE, CyPhy Works, JD.com, SKYCART Inc., Drone America, Matternet, SZ DJI Technology Co. Ltd., and others

Keeping Resolutions

When it comes to healthy eating New Year’s Resolutions, 2019 is off to a promising start.

Data from ezCater, reveals salad orders grew by 10 percent nationally through the year's first three weeks, while pizza orders nosedived by 20 percent, compared to the same period last month.  

The network that connects millions of lunch-hungry office dwellers with over 60,000 restaurants and other caterers annually also produced some notable city-specific data:

• Indianapolis is 2019's healthy eating star thus far (salad orders up 36 percent, pizza orders down 56 percent)
• Silicon Valley (salad up 23 percent, pizza down 6 percent) and Seattle (salad up 26 percent, pizza down 27 percent) are in a tech HQ good eating grudge match
• Los Angeles is keeping up its spa cuisine image (salad up 12 percent, pizza down 37 percent)
• Boston can add better food bragging rights to its beloved Sox and Pats boasts (salad up 15 percent, pizza down 30 percent)
• Chicago has moved well past its brats 'n beers rep…at least come lunchtime (salad up 6 percent, pizza down 31 percent)

Thanksgiving or Christmas?

While most restaurant chains saw a slump in customer traffic around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, Gravy Analytics, a location-intelligence platform, found that certain fast food chains fared better during the week of Thanksgiving than Christmas/New Years.

Auntie Anne’s: 11 percent (November) to -34 percent (December)

Burger King: -7 percent (November) to -25 percent (December)

Cinnabon: 40 percent (November) to -34 percent (December) 

McDonald’s: -6 percent (November) to -22 percent (December)

Dunkin Donuts: -6 percent (November) to -24 percent (December)

The above findings compare foot traffic at more than 2,000 food chains during the weeks of Nov. 12-19 and Nov. 20-26, 2018 with Dec. 18-24 and Dec. 25-31, 2018.

Popular Super Bowl Food

For restaurants, this Sunday isn’t about New England or Los Angeles, it’s about gaining the most yardage at the viewing party table. According to newly released data from Cardlytics, pizza dominated food budgets in the Patriots’ hometown of Boston last year with a 187 percent increase in spend compared to an average week. But for Los Angeles, it was all about the tacos with a 37 percent increase in spend over annual averages.

These insights come from Cardlytics, which partners with more than 2,000 financial institutions to run their digital rewards programs. The company leverages proprietary insights to understand where and when consumers spend their money, helping marketers reach likely buyers through the banks’ mobile, online, and email channels. Cardlytics’ fraud-free native advertising platform reaches more than 85 million monthly active users and analyzes $2.3T in consumer spend.

This spending data surrounding The Big Game also revealed that football fans overall spent 12 percent more nationally during the 2018 championship versus 2017. In this year’s host city of Atlanta, chicken made a big run with a 128 percent boost in sales, and the meal is the fastest growing food choice for football fans with spend surging 19 percent nationally in 2018 compared to 2017.

“The February championship is an exciting time, not only for the game and the commercials, but also in the all-important area of dining,” said Matt Drewes, Cardlytics senior vice president and group head of restaurants. “At Cardlytics, we can help restaurants gain market share, whether it’s leading into a big event or otherwise, by applying sophisticated analytics to our massive purchase dataset and delivering real insights into the customer’s buying behavior. This allows brands to identify blind spots and gauge headroom for growth within their categories.”

Other key findings around food purchases during the week of The Big Game include:

• Spend grew 29 percent in Atlanta and 31 percent in all of Georgia from 2017 to 2018.
• Tennessee (27 percent growth), Virginia (24 percent growth), and Florida (20 percent growth) experienced three of the largest spikes in spend for 2018 compared to 2017.
• Sioux Falls, South Dakota (15 percent decrease), Mankato, Kansas (12 percent decrease), and Topeka, Kansas (11 percent decrease) saw the most notable decreases in spend from 2017 to 2018.
• Chicago and St. Louis are the only two cities whose residents preferred to eat sandwiches on game day, respectively spending 85 percent and 73 percent more on this item the week of the championship than average.

Methodology: U.S. consumer spend at barbeque, premium burger, chicken, taco, pizza, and sandwich locations the week of the championship game (between February 1, 2018 and February 7, 2018, and February 2, 2017 and February 8, 2017), compared to annual averages captured between January 5, 2017 and January 2, 2019.

Big Game Wing-onomics

Will Americans be ‘winging it’ for the Big Game? The National Chicken Council (NCC) has released its annual Chicken Wing Report, and the answer is a resounding “yes!” NCC projects Americans’ consumption of the unofficial gameday menu staple – the chicken wing – will hit an all-time high at 1.38 billion wings during Super Bowl LIII weekend, as the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots battle for the Lombardi Trophy. This figure is up two percent, or about 27 million wings, from 2018.

How do 1.38 billion chicken wings measure up?

• If 1.38 billion wings were laid end to end, they would stretch back and forth 28 times from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
• 1.38 billion wings weigh 6,600 times more than the combined weight of both the Patriots’ and Rams’ entire rosters.
• Enough to put 640 wings on every seat in all 31 NFL stadiums.
• Enough to circle the Earth 3 times.
• If each wing were one second, 1.38 billion wings would be 44 years.
• That’s 4 wings for every man, woman and child in the United States.

As the saying goes, “I’ll just eat one. Said no one ever.”

As Americans unite around their shared love of the chicken wing during Super Bowl LIII, NCC is petitioning President Trump and Congress to declare the Monday after the Super Bowl a federal holiday: “National Chicken Wing Appreciation Day.” Declare your support for the federal holiday – and love of the wing – by signing the petition here.

“Whether you’re a fan of the left wing or the right wing, there’s no debate – or controversial missed calls – about America’s favorite Super Bowl food,” said National Chicken Council spokesperson Tom Super.

Love the Local Flavors

Grocery retailers and local restaurants are making preparations in advance of the big game next week as consumers make their plans. According to Frito-Lay, individual cities have their own snacking preferences – however, one thing is consistent no matter where you live, what you’re buying or who you’re cheering for: consumers like to shop locally.

In a survey conducted last year of over 1,000 US consumers, Valassis found that 52 percent are willing to travel less than four miles for their big game purchases and 43 percent will shop locally. Given your interest in restaurant trends, would you be interested in scheduling a conversation with Curtis Tingle, chief marketing officer at Valassis to discuss how small businesses have an opportunity to sell big next week? Curtis can discuss how small businesses can be wiser this year when prepping for the big game. I’ve included additional takeaways from the survey below for consideration.

Super Bowl Super Spend

American adults say they will spend an average $81.30 for a total of $14.8 billion as they watch the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams meet up in the Super Bowl next month, according to the annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics.

“You don’t have to be a football fan to celebrate the Super Bowl,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “Whether it’s to see who wins, watch the halftime show and commercials or just get together with friends, this is the biggest party since New Year’s Eve. Spending is expected to be at one the highest levels we’ve seen. And retailers are ready whether you need food, team jerseys, decorations or a new TV.”

The average spending is virtually unchanged from last year’s $81.17 and is the second-highest in the history of the survey after a record of $82.19 set in 2016. The total amount is down from last year’s $15.3 billion, primarily because fewer people plan to watch the game – 182.5 million this year compared with 188.5 million last year. The overall spending is still the third-highest on record, after last year’s figure and $15.5 billion in 2016.

The biggest spenders are those ages 35-44 at an average $123.26 while the lowest are those 65 and older at $40.97. Viewers in the Northeast plan to spend the most, at an average $94.89, followed by the West at $84.01, the South at $79.09 and the Midwest at $69.24.

The survey found that 72 percent of adults plan to watch the game, down from 76 percent last year. Among those watching, 79 percent plan to buy food and beverages, 10 percent team apparel and accessories, 7 percent decorations, also 7 percent for new televisions, and 4 percent furniture such as entertainment centers.

Close to a quarter (24 percent or 61 million) plan to attend a party, while 17 percent (44 million) will throw one while 5 percent (13 million) will watch in a bar or restaurant. The largest share of those watching (43 percent) say the game is the most important part of the event, but 23 percent cite the commercials, 14 percent getting together with friends, 13 percent the halftime show and 7 percent the food.

The survey found that 76 percent see the commercials as entertainment and that only 10 percent say they are influenced to make a purchase, but the ads carry more weight among younger viewers. Of those ages 18-24, 17 percent say the commercials influence them to buy and 16 percent are prompted to search online for more information.

“The numbers vary from year to year, but regardless of the economy, politics or the weather, most Americans manage to take a break every year for the Super Bowl,” Prosper Vice President of Strategy Phil Rist said. “The big game is a day for big spending regardless of who plays or wins.”

The survey of 7,384 adults 18 and older was conducted January 2-9, before it was known which teams would play, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.2 percentage points. The viewership numbers may differ from other figures such as official TV ratings because they include all individuals who say they will watch regardless of how or where.

Valentine's Day Spend

Americans are expected to spend a record amount on Valentine’s Day this year despite a years-long decrease in the percentage of people celebrating the holiday, according to the annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics.

“The vast majority of Valentine’s Day dollars are still spent on significant others, but there’s a big increase this year in consumers spreading the love to children, parents, friends and coworkers,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “Those who are participating are spending more than ever and that could be the result of the strong economy. With employment and income growing, consumers appear to be expanding the scope of who qualifies for a card or a box of candy.”

Those surveyed said they would spend an average $161.96. That’s up 13 percent from last year’s $143.56 and easily tops the previous record of $146.84 set in 2016. Total spending is expected to be $20.7 billion, which is an increase of 6 percent over last year’s $19.6 billion and breaks the previous record of $19.7 billion, also set in 2016.

The spending increases come even though only 51 percent of Americans plan to celebrate the holiday, down from 55 percent last year and a high of 63 percent in 2007. It is unclear why the number of consumers celebrating has trended downward over the past 12 years, but spending, while varying with the economy, has generally trended up. The lowest spending during the period was $102.50 in 2009 during the Great Recession.

Of the $18.40 increase in average spending, only $4.26 comes from spending on spouses and significant others, which is expected to total $93.24. Consumers said they would spend $29.87 on other family members, up $4.58; $9.78 on friends, up $2.59; $8.63 on children’s classmates or teachers, up $1.37; $7.78 on co-workers, up $2.99; $6.94 on pets, up $1.44 and $5.72 on others, up $1.17.

As in each year of the survey, men are the biggest spenders at $229.54, up 20 percent from last year. That’s more than double the $97.77 women said they would spend, which is down 1 percent, and is within the survey’s margin of error.

Among age groups, those 35-44 are the biggest Valentine spenders at $279.14, followed by those 25-34 at $239.07. Both groups typically have more people to buy for including children and children’s classmates or teachers.

Gifts for pets continue to be popular, purchased by 20 percent. Pet spending is expected to total $886 million, up $519 million since NRF first asked in 2008.

Those celebrating plan to spend $3.9 billion on jewelry (given by 18 percent), $3.5 billion on an evening out (34 percent), $2.1 billion on clothing (18 percent), $1.9 billion on flowers (35 percent), $1.8 billion on candy (52 percent), $1.3 billion on gift cards (15 percent) and $933 million on greeting cards (44 percent). Gifts of experience such as tickets to an event or a trip to a spa are wanted by 40 percent and planned to be given by 25 percent.

Department stores are the most popular Valentine’s Day shopping destination, visited by 35 percent of shoppers, followed by discount stores (32 percent), online (27 percent), specialty stores (18 percent), florists (16 percent), small or local businesses (14 percent), jewelry stores and specialty clothing stores (each 9 percent).

Even among those who don’t plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day as such, 11 percent plan to treat themselves to gifts like clothing or jewelry and 9 percent plan to get together with other single friends or family.

“Valentine’s Day means different things for different people,” Prosper Vice President of Strategy Phil Rist said. “Whether it’s a day of romance or one of making sure their children have enough cards in their backpacks for each of their classmates, it’s an important day for those who choose to participate.”

The survey of 7,384 adults 18 and older was conducted January 2-9 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.2 percentage points.

Small Business Gains

 The Paychex | IHS Markit Small Business Employment Watch started the new year with slight gains in small business job and hourly earnings growth. The Small Business Jobs Index increased 0.04 percent in January to 98.92, though it remains down 0.96 year-over-year. At 2.49 percent ($0.65) in January, hourly earnings growth has improved each month since August with wages now standing at $26.88. Weekly earnings growth, however, has slipped below two percent as weekly hours worked have declined.

“With a 0.04 percent increase in January, the recent losses seen in small business job growth abated to begin the new year,” said James Diffley, chief regional economist at IHS Markit.

“The uncertainty caused by the government shutdown doesn’t appear to have had a major negative impact on small business hiring, which increased for the first time since May 2018,” said Martin Mucci, Paychex president and CEO. “The job gain is certainly welcome news, but it remains a challenging hiring environment for small businesses given the low unemployment levels.”

Broken down further by geography and industry, the December report showed:

• The top region for both employment and wage growth is the West.
• Wisconsin is the strongest state for small business job growth; California took over as the top state for wage growth.
• Dallas remains first among metros in job growth; Riverside, California is once again the top metro for wage growth.
• With a 0.14 percent increase in January, Construction is back above 100 and ranks second among industries in jobs growth.

The complete results for January, including interactive charts detailing all data at a national, regional, state, metro, and industry level, are available here. 

Vegans Want Healthy

Brands in the UK should ensure their vegan food products remain healthy to consumers, says GlobalData. As veganism becomes increasingly available in mainstream retail, consumers’ attention inevitably shifts towards how healthy a vegan product is. Brands should address this by reducing sugar and salt levels in processed vegan food, removing allergens and adding ingredients beneficial for the vegan diet, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData’s 2018 Q3 survey found that three percent of consumers in the UK were describing their daily diet as vegan, a moderate figure, but still bigger than the global two percent. 

Aleksandrina Yotova, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Growth in the vegan food sector comes mostly from the rise of the number of flexitarian consumers willing to stick to a vegan diet for a period of time or a few days each week.

“This has led to more vegan products being released with a number of major brands and private labels launching vegan options to their line-ups. While these products are better for the animal welfare, not all vegan foods are healthier than the standard options and this is noticed by consumers.”

M&S’s new Plant Kitchen vegan range has been reported to feature allergy related warnings, which not only contradict the vegan nature of the range but also suggest a risk for allergy sufferers. Greggs’ newly popular vegan sausage roll has been reported to have more salt than the original and nearly a gram of sugar, which makes its health benefits debatable.

Yotova concludes: “As consumers want vegan products to be healthier alternatives to meat and dairy, the lack of clarity will be off putting for some. Future trends in vegan food will follow the same philosophy that consumers apply to eating in general: eat whole, real foods with as little processing as possible. Vegan food products will need to keep this philosophy central to their product formulations, as many have been doing for decades.”

Social Media Interaction

Thirty percent of social media users interact on social media at least 10 times per day by either liking, sharing, or posting content, according to a new survey from The Manifest, a business news and how-to website.

Social media is part of people’s everyday routines because it helps people build a community with others around the world.

“Social media has become ingrained in our day-to-day lives,” said Charlotte Chipperfield, founder and CEO of Chipperfield Media. “We use it for more than just sharing personal updates. It’s a way of building a community around our shared interests.”

People Prefer to Post Images on Social Media

People clearly want others to see their photos and memes – images are the only content type that more than half of social media users regularly post.

Nearly 70 percent of users post images, compared to 47 percent who post updates/announcements, 46 percent who post videos, and 42 percent who post opinions.

Images are popular because they are the most likely to capture people’s attention.

“Nowadays, people are in a very fast-paced environment [and] want to consume the most amount of information as quickly as possible, so photography can help that,” photographer Pedro Kin said. “Not many people will stop and read a post.”

Nearly Half of Social Media Users Post Content Daily

Although interacting with other people’s content is important to most social media users, nearly all (94 percent) post their own content, including 42 percent who do so at least once a day. Social media lets people interact beyond their immediate surroundings.

“The average person living in a suburb could live on a little street with very little exposure to the outside world but have a community of thousands of people on social media who are engaged with their posts,” said Joseph Rothstein, account manager at Social Media 55.

Facebook Remains Popular

Reports that people have stopped using Facebook are premature – Facebook is still the most-used social media channel.

More than half (52 percent) of people use Facebook the most often among social media platforms, more than three times the number of people who most often use YouTube (16 percent) and Instagram (14 percent).

Even the most ardent Facebook fans, however, may be spending less time per visit on Facebook because they are visiting other channels.

“Even if people are still clicking on the app or going to Facebook.com on their browser the most, the amount of time they spend on the platform has decreased,” said Andrew Selepak, graduate director of the social media department at the University of Florida. “If I watch a 20-minute YouTube video, I’m probably not spending a 20-minute block on Facebook.”

The Manifest’s 2019 Consumer Social Media Survey included 627 people in the U.S. who use social media at least once per week.

Read the full report here.

Culinary Tourism Market

he global culinary tourism market is expected to post a CAGR of over 9 percent during the period 2019-2023, according to the latest market research report by Technavio. Increase in integrative culinary and cultural events introduced at music and arts festivals offer opportunities to food service providers and other culinary tourism suppliers to get access to the large customer bases. The introduction of food trucks is a critical factor that will boost market growth. These food trucks provide customers with a broad and trendy selection of local flavors. Destination management organizations (DMOs) are also taking note of the growth of different art and festival events, and the role of food in them. Many destinations worldwide have started collaborating with local businesses and celebrated native chefs to promote activities that focus on different types of culinary offerings.

As per Technavio, the growing popularity of sustainable and organic culinary tourism will have a positive impact on the market and contribute to its growth significantly over the forecast period. This global culinary tourism market 2019-2023 research report also analyzes other important trends and market drivers that will affect market growth over 2019-2023.

Growing popularity of sustainable and organic culinary tourism

Currently, tourists are interested in the origin of food, drinks, and local products. Moreover, with organic culinary tourism being a niche market, especially among European culinary tourists, several culinary tour operators are enjoying a competitive advantage by offering organic food options to these tourists. Thus, with the growth in organic culinary tourism market in regions such as Europe and North America, sustainable and organic culinary tourism is expected to gain popularity during the forecast period.

“Countries such as the US, the UK, Germany, France, China, Australia, and Spain are witnessing an increasing number of travelers, both domestic and international. This is contributing immensely to the growth of the global culinary tourism market. Developing countries, such as Sri Lanka, India, and Mexico, are also upgrading their tourism infrastructure, which is expected to augment the market growth during the forecast period,” says a senior analyst at Technavio.

Segmentation analysis

This market research report segments the global culinary tourism market by type (domestic and international) and geographical regions (Europe, North America, APAC, South America, MEA).

The European region led the market in 2018, followed by North America, APAC, South America, and MEA respectively. However, during the forecast period, the APAC region is expected to register the highest incremental growth due to the growing economies of APAC countries. The increase in the number of travel operators, luxury service providers, and a rising number of exotic spots and destinations will also fuel market growth.

Evolving Snack Food

Once seen as guilty pleasures, snack foods have and will continue to evolve to be eating occasion solutions for a nation of consumers constantly on-the-go, reports The NPD Group in its recently published Future of Snacking report. Americans consumed nearly 386 billion of ready-to-eat snack foods last year, with the vast majority of those eaten between main meals; and snack food growth is happening at most dayparts with more use at meals and as meal replacements. 

“Snack foods continue to evolve both as between-meal snacks and as part of main meals,” says David Portalatin, NPD food industry advisor. “Each of these snack food roles is changing in different ways in reaction to Americans’ desire for balance, portable snack foods, and holistic wellness.” 

Snack food needs forecast to grow in the near term embody wellness benefits, like snacks with more protein, portability, like single-serve snack foods that fit into busy lives, unique and enjoyment, like unique flavor mash-ups, according to NPD’s Future of Snacking report, which shows what snack food consumption will look like in the future and the opportunities for growth over the next five years. Even indulgent snack foods are staging a comeback by walking a line between health and enjoyment. Low calorie, high protein ice cream is an example of a beneficial snack food. Brands that support moderation as a rationale to indulge are also benefiting, like thinner versions of cookies. 

The report also found that consumers snack food choices aren’t limited strictly to flavor. Emerging attributes for snack food consumers are snacks that encompass uniqueness, and sensory elements such as texture, heat, and aromatics.

“Snacking is no longer just about eating when you’re bored or eating for additional sustenance,” says Portalatin. “Today and in the future, snacking is about solving small problems for consumers, and those problems present opportunities for food marketers across a variety of dayparts and needs.”    

It seems the traditional three meals a day are facing an evolution in Canada, as new research from Mintel reveals that nearly half (46 percent) of better-for-you (BFY) snackers* feel that it is healthier to snack throughout the day than to eat three large meals. In need of constant fuel, many Canadians have snacks at the ready with two-thirds (65 percent) of BFY snackers believing it’s important to always keep healthy snacks on hand.

Keeping up with their interest in snacking throughout the day, more than half (51 percent) of Canadians agree that they’d like to see more healthy snacks packaged for eating on the go. What’s more, it seems there’s potential for anything to be considered a snack among younger consumers, as 45 percent of Canadians aged 18-24 are interested in snack-sized portions of regular foods as compared to 31 percent overall.

“Snackers today are looking for ways to satisfy cravings that fit in easily with an increasingly on-the-go lifestyle. The good news is food manufacturers and foodservice providers need not start from scratch. As many consumers have adopted the notion that anything can be a snack, companies can appeal to those looking for better-for-you snacks by rethinking packaging to make items more portable rather than reinventing the wheel. This is especially crucial for foodservice vendors in particular as consumers aged 18-24 are the most likely to dine out, yet also feel the financial impact of it. This highlights an opportunity to offer smaller serving sizes of their dishes at lower price points to appeal to this group,” said Carol Wong-Li, Associate Director, Lifestyles and Leisure Reports, at Mintel.

Younger consumers prioritize protein

As consumers look to make better choices for themselves, it seems fresh and less processed snacks are coming out on top as fresh fruit and vegetables (84 percent) are the nation’s top better-for-you snack of choice, followed by cheese (79 percent), nuts (69 percent) and popcorn (60 percent). In fact, Mintel research shows the snack innovation that consumers are most likely to say they would like to see more of is products made from fresh ingredients (55 percent). 

While fresh snacks are winning out, younger consumers are placing power in protein to keep them full. Three in 10 (30 percent) consumers say they eat meat snacks, with younger snackers aged 18-34 the most likely age group to agree (41 percent). Although just 16 percent of consumers say they are interested in snack bars made with meat, one third (32 percent) of men aged 18-34 are keen to see more of this type of offering.

Following the growing flexitarian movement, it seems that plant-based has potential when it comes to better-for-you snacking as three in 10 (29 percent) consumers say they are interested in snacks made with plant-based protein, rising to four in 10 (39 percent) among women aged 18-34.

“Protein is a key area of interest for younger Canadians when it comes to innovations in healthy snacks, but men and women differ when it comes to the actual source of protein they prefer. While young women show interest in plant-based proteins, men are more likely to turn to meat. This may stem, in part, to the different approaches taken to snacking. Younger women tend to snack because they are too busy to eat meals, whereas young men usually do so as a way to refuel after exercise. Marketers looking to promote plant-based proteins will see success by focusing on how these ingredients work to keep consumers fuller longer, while brands promoting meat can focus on how the quality of the meat protein contributes to muscle building, recovery and/or development,” said Wong-Li.

Healthfulness of BFY snacks comes into question

While Canadians are keen to enjoy healthy snacks, there are significant concerns. Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of BFY snackers believe that many snacks marketed as healthy are not actually healthy, with just 41 percent saying they trust the health claims on food and beverage packaging. And for many, there’s confusion when it comes to making a healthy snack choice, as half (49 percent) say it is hard to tell if a snack is healthy. 

“Many consumers today have difficulty determining the healthfulness of snacks and hold a general distrust of claims on food and beverage packaging. This may be drawing them toward choosing fresh and less processed snacks, rather than processed and/or packaged ones. Marketers can boost perceptions of healthfulness of their products by highlighting whole and/or fresh ingredients the products include and featuring clear packaging to both showcase the ingredients and offer transparency,” concluded Wong-Li.

Allergan Confusion

Allergen food labels are a source of confusion for today’s Brits according to latest research from Mintel, as only 37 percent of consumers agree that it is easy to identify which allergens a product is free from by its label.

While pre-packaged goods are legally required to highlight on-pack the presence of any allergens, almost half (48 percent) of Brits are unsure whether or not allergen labels are clear, and a further 15 percent actively disagree that this is the case.

Meanwhile, a UK-wide allergen labelling system on free-from product packaging appeals to 29 percent of those who have bought/used free-from products, a figure which rises to 39 percent of those users who avoid foods/ingredients because of an allergy or intolerance.

Estimated to be worth £837 million in 2018, the UK free-from market has seen stellar growth over 2013-18 with sales growing by 133 percent over this time period.

Emma Clifford, Associate Director of Food and Drink at Mintel, said, “Potential changes to allergen labelling has received a lot of high profile media coverage recently, with speculation that the Government is planning to introduce new changes following the death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died after suffering an allergic reaction to a Pret baguette. Given the perceived lack of clarity and the dangerous health implications that ambiguous allergen labelling can have on consumers, there is a real need for companies to make the presence of allergens very obvious on labelling.

“While current regulations require allergens to be listed in bold on the ingredients list, many companies choose to highlight certain free-from credentials on the front of packaging as well. At the moment this is not regulated and as such, there is no uniformity between the labelling used, which can fuel confusion among consumers, particularly given the huge amount of other product information on packaging. There is strong demand for a UK-wide labelling system for allergens which would unify the way in which companies communicate this information on packaging.”

According to Mintel, just under half (48 percent) of consumers say that they, or someone in their household, avoid at least one food/ingredient, with 16-24-year-olds (61 percent) the most likely age group to report household avoidance of foods/ingredients. Overall, there has been no significant change in the share of UK consumers that avoid certain foods or ingredients over the past year.

Perhaps surprisingly, only 20 percent of consumers (or other members of their household) avoid certain ingredients due to an allergy or intolerance, which is on a par with those who do so as part of a healthy lifestyle (22 percent). Of those who have eaten/drunk free-from foods, 28 percent do not avoid any foods/ingredients.

Meanwhile, three in ten (30 percent) Brits avoid certain foods/ingredients for other reasons (eg ethical, vegetarian) rising to 38 percent of under-25s and 41 percent of females in this age group. 

While dairy is the most commonly avoided food/ingredient (17 percent), avoidance of dairy has remained unchanged over the last three years. Soya (16 percent), fish or shellfish (16 percent), red meat (15 percent) and lactose (15 percent) make up the top five foods/ingredients which Brits avoid.

“Allergies or intolerances aren’t the main reason that consumers are avoiding certain foods or ingredients. Healthy lifestyles and ethical and environmental concerns are also boosting the appeal of these products, with young consumers in particular most likely to be driven by these factors.

“The fact that as many as a quarter of free-from purchasers do not avoid any foods/ingredients reflects that the pool of free-from users is far wider than just those who fully avoid certain ingredients, either due to allergies/intolerances or for other reasons.”

Gluten-free is most commonly bought free-from food

Gluten-free products remain the nation’s most popular type of free-from food with 27 percent of consumers having purchased or eaten these over six months, despite only 12 percent of consumers reporting that they or somebody else in their household avoid gluten. 

Meanwhile, a quarter (23 percent) of consumers have purchased dairy substitutes, while 19 percent have bought dairy-free foods.

A quarter (26 percent) of consumers say free-from diets are good for digestive health, but 44 percent say that it is hard to know whether they have health benefits for those without an allergy or intolerance. A further 40 percent worry that following a free-from diet puts you at risk of missing out on certain nutrients.

“The idea that following a free-from diet could potentially put people at risk of missing out on certain nutrients is a concern for a significant number of consumers. Gluten-free products carrying nutrient fortification claims are not widespread in the UK market, suggesting a missed opportunity. While highlighting the absence of allergens is vital, spotlighting nutritional credentials is also important for free-from products, particularly to appeal to those opting for these products as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Evolving Artisan and Specialty Cheese

The artisan and specialty cheese industry is evolving, according to the American Cheese Society’s (ACS) newly released reports from its State of the U.S. Artisan/Specialty Cheese Industry Survey. There are nearly 1,000 artisan and specialty cheesemakers in the U.S., researchers found, a number which has increased significantly over past decades. Seventy-six percent of cheesemakers reported annual cheese production of 50,000 pounds or less, indicating that this growing industry largely consists of smaller businesses.

Cheese continues to top U.S. specialty food sales at more than 4 billion dollars in 2017, according to the Specialty Food Association. Yet the artisan and specialty cheese industry is not without challenges – despite overall growth, just 80 percent of cheesemakers operated profitably in 2017, and average profit margins were slim. Ninety-two percent of cheesemakers reported that maintaining profitability is an area of concern. Unsurprisingly, cheesemakers that reported a higher production volume averaged higher gross revenue. However, strong revenue doesn’t necessarily translate to profit. The higher the cheesemaker’s gross revenue, the lower the profit margin on average – evidence that bigger isn’t necessarily better in the artisan and specialty cheese industry.

“Cheesemakers put an incredible amount of passion into creating their products, and these in-depth surveys show just how challenging that work can be,” says ACS Executive Director Nora Weiser.

Oyster Sauce Market Forecast

The global oyster sauces market is expected to post a CAGR of over four percent during the period 2019-2023, according to the latest market research report by Technavio.

The penetration of pre-made meals and online grocery home delivery services have reduced restaurant visits and expenditure at food-service outlets among cost-conscious consumers. Furthermore, with ready-made recipes available, oyster sauce is a critical ingredient in many fast food dishes. Cooking shows are also encouraging people to experiment and cook at home. Moreover, increasing awareness of healthy eating habits, is leading to the growing preference and propensity for home cooking, which will increase the demand for oyster sauce during the forecast period.

As per Technavio, the increasing innovations in packaging will have a positive impact on the market and contribute to its growth significantly over the forecast period. This global oyster sauces market 2019-2023 research report also analyzes other important trends and market drivers that will affect market growth over 2019-2023.

Innovations in packaging

Packaging plays a crucial role in the sale of oyster sauce as it helps retain the flavor, taste, quality, and texture. Packaging is a brand extension of the product and is a crucial factor that influences the purchase decision of consumers. Therefore, several major companies are collaborating with packaging manufacturers to develop advanced packaging technologies and attract consumers. The shelf life of oyster sauce shelf life depends on the ingredients, production methods, and packaging method. Manufacturers are also offering oyster sauce in small, convenient packets.

“Apart from the innovations in packaging, the increasing number of product launches, growth in the retail landscape, and increasing oyster production are some major factors that are expected to boost the market during the forecast period,” says a senior analyst at Technavio.

 Segmentation analysis

This market research report segments the global oyster sauces market by end-user segment (retail and foodservice) and geographical regions (APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and MEA).

The APAC region led the market in 2018, followed by North America, Europe, South America, and MEA respectively. However, during the forecast period, the North American region is expected to register the highest incremental growth due to the growing popularity of the Asian cuisine and many Asian vendors expanding their businesses to increase their market share in the region.

MRM Research Roundup: End-of-January 2019/Super Bowl Edition posted first on happyhourspecialsyum.blogspot.com

Five Questions to Ask Before Opening Your Second Restaurant

When your first restaurant is a smashing success, opening a second one may seem like a natural next move. 

Consider these five questions to decide if you’re ready. 

But before you make the leap, take a moment to reflect on what made your first location successful—and in which areas of the business you’d like to improve. Start by looking closely at your operations and ensure you have the right equipment to make a smooth expansion.

With the opening of a second restaurant, you may have twice the staff, inventory and sales to manage. And there’s no guarantee both locations will perform the same way. The steps you take to prepare now can ease your transition to managing multiple locations. 

Here are five questions to consider as you get ready to open your second restaurant.

1. What type of technology will you need?

You’ve successfully pulled off running one restaurant—a huge accomplishment. But as your business expands, you may be on the cusp of adding more responsibilities. To further complicate matters, you can’t be in two places (or more) at once. The right technology can work wonders for helping business owners manage multiple locations on a single system. 

Cloud-based point-of-sale (POS) systems and management software can help maintain consistency across locations, allowing you to carry menus, training materials and even employee accounts from one restaurant to another, so you’re not starting from scratch. This technology can also help you manage bookkeeping and track critical data in one place. 

Setting up a single platform that can perform many different functions is a great foundation for future expansion. If your long-term goal is to have two locations – or many more – an easily scalable management system that can grow with you is an invaluable asset. 

2. What type of food should you serve? 

If you’re planning to replicate your original menu, you may think you have this question covered. But you may want to think again.

Revamping the menu in a new location might be necessary depending on your kitchen space and your customer base in the new place. The way you serve busy folks on a quick grab-and-go lunch break might be different from how you cater to families or late-night diners.

Opening a second location in a different neighborhood, city or state is another good reason to take a closer look at the menu. Customers appreciate restaurants that reflect their community. Add or tweak some menu items with a local twist to make your new restaurant location feel more personalized to its surroundings. 

Analytics may help in decision-making, too. By using POS technology that can collect insights on sales trends and other key metrics, you might find brunch is popular in the original location but not at the second one. Understanding what performs well at each location will help you run a more efficient, profitable business.

3. How will you manage the extra staff?

More than two-thirds of restaurant operators say staffing is a top concern. Staff turnover and competition for employees is frequently a major challenge for restaurateurs. You want to find, hire and retain the right people so quality and service at your second restaurant matches the high standards you set in your first location. 

One essential strategy for making sure you can manage additional staff is to lean on technology for extra support. The proper restaurant management system can assist with training, scheduling and table assignments, helping ensure you and your new team feels established and ready to provide delightful service.

4. What types of payments will you accept?

Bank of America Merchant Services surveyed consumers who frequent small businesses and found that they want new and flexible ways to pay. Nearly 40 percent of consumers appreciate when they can pay tableside at a restaurant, and almost a quarter want to have the ability to pay with a mobile device or digital wallet.

Restaurants need to keep up with the payment methods customers prefer, or they risk losing business to larger corporate chains that have long been experimenting with adding new ways to pay. 

By ensuring your restaurants are equipped with a mobile POS that can accept tableside payments and multiple payment methods, you can deliver a service that delights customers and encourages their return. 

5. How will you maintain a great experience?

If your customers loved your first location, they’ll likely want to try out your second. Similarly, if your staff enjoys working at the first spot, they may be open to training the new team. Be sure to have a restaurant management systemin place that can keep both locations running similarly and efficiently.

For example, if your customers are used to the ability to split checks at your original restaurant, consider carrying the same experience to your second location. Your staff may also expect a certain experience like coursing options or simple tip adjusts and settlements.

Talking with a payments partner can help you learn about and incorporate emerging technologies that suit your restaurant’s size, locations and customer base. With the right tools in place, you can focus on successfully expanding your restaurant and serving even more loyal customers.

Five Questions to Ask Before Opening Your Second Restaurant posted first on happyhourspecialsyum.blogspot.com

Upserve’s Hottest 2019 Restaurant Menu Trends (Infographic)

Upserve surveyed 2018 menu and sales data from nearly 9,000 restaurants to dig into what food trends drove the most orders, and which are being left behind. For a more in-depth look at this topic, click here.

Many emerging food trends popped up across the country in 2018, but few made restaurant customers curious more than these unique eats. If these ingredients aren’t already on your menu, you might want to think about updating your current menu to keep your customers coming back.

CBD (Cannabidiol) — Up 99 Percent

It was only a matter of time before cannabidiol—or CBD—made its way into the restaurant industry. The non-psychoactive derivative from the cannabis plant has helped consumers looking for relief from inflammation, pain, anxiety, insomnia, seizures, spasms, and other conditions without the negative side effects of some pharmaceutical drugs.

According to the National Restaurant Association’s (NRA) What’s Hot Culinary Survey, a barometer of U.S. food and beverage trends, 650 professional chefs—all members of the American Culinary Federation—said infusing food and drink with cannabis and CBD could create unique cuisine opportunities and potential new markets for experiential dining occasions. Of the survey’s respondents, 77 percent identified cannabis/CBD-infused drinks as the number one trend in the restaurant industry right now, and 76 percent tapped cannabis/CBD-infused food as the second most popular trend.

Data from Upserve customers revealed a 99 percent increase in CBD menu items in 2018, setting up 2019 as the year of CBD. From baked goods to CBD-infused beverages, restaurants across the country are responding to a consumer demand to chill out.

Fermented Foods – Up 149 Percent

The wellness trend continues: a recent obsession with gut health has consumers turning to naturally preserved foods. This means that fermentation has swept the restaurant industry, with a staggering 149 percent increase on Upserve customer menus, making it the biggest trend in 2018.

Jackfruit- Up 52 Percent

Plant-based foodies have grown fond of the world’s largest tree fruit, jackfruit, which saw a 52 percent increase on restaurant menus. The fruit is native to India and Southeast Asia, and packs a nutritional punch for vegetarians as a good source of protein, calcium, iron, and potassium. As an adaptable food, jackfruit is commonly used as a meat substitute in meatless dishes. Unripe jackfruit has a meat-like taste and texture, and when cooked the fruit is transformed into a savory meat substitute similar to pulled pork, perfect for tacos or sandwiches.

Fire-Roasted Foods – Up 19 Percent

While some cooking methods quickly become stale, fire roasting has worked its way into American kitchens with a 19 percent increase on restaurant menus. Fire roasting vegetables and fruits results in a depth of flavor not attainable with regular roasting or baking, creating a variety of smoky flavors for chefs to offer customers.

Ancient Grains – Up 11 Percent

The last trend is not so much a food of the future, but a sign that consumers are continuing the trend of going back to their roots. With diets that focus on wholesome, unprocessed foods, ancient grains saw an 11 percent increase on restaurant menus in 2018. Grains such as teff, einkorn, amaranth, millet or spelt may sound rather exotic to the average foodie, but health-conscious consumers are well versed in these carbohydrates that provide more nutrition than a simple grain.

What’s Next for Restaurant Menu Trends?

While restaurants made room on their menus for CBD, jackfruit, and fermented foods, a few items were left in dust in 2018.

Despite fermented foods’ rise in 2018, sauerkraut saw an 18 percent decline on restaurant menus, allowing chefs to experiment fermenting ingredients other than cabbage. Vegetarian favorite king oyster mushrooms were also dropped from menus, with a 93 percent decline in 2018, likely replaced with jackfruit recipes for non-meat eaters.

Upserve’s Hottest 2019 Restaurant Menu Trends (Infographic) posted first on happyhourspecialsyum.blogspot.com

MRM Meditations: Amanti Vino Proprietor Sharon Sevrens

In the MRM Meditations, Amanti Vino Proprietor Sharon Sevrens tell us what she loves about what she does.  She owns and operates stores in Montclair and Morristown, New Jersey that specializes in small production wines, craft beer and artisanal spirits from around the world at all price points. Additionally, each location features a classroom for private events and wine education classes and an outdoor, three-season Vinoteca.

Amanti Vino is the only Approved Provider in New Jersey for the UK-based Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) classes and its website, www.amantivino.com, was named one of the 10 best online wine shops by Food & Wine Magazine. For a longer profile, click here. 

MRM Meditations: Amanti Vino Proprietor Sharon Sevrens posted first on happyhourspecialsyum.blogspot.com

Starving for Engagement: Why Restaurants Apps Failed to Satisfy Customers’ Appetite

Since the introduction of Apple’s iOS App Store in the summer of 2008, the number of apps has risen from an initial 500 to millions in just a few years. However, the restaurant app’s lifespan hasn’t been as fruitful. Over the last few years, many were developed, but few survived. Why?

Restaurants took hold of the app opportunity with an initial function of helping customers find the nearest locations, hours – basic information to essentially replace the Yellow Pages. Over time, the realization was that restaurants needed to meet the promise of the app experience, and introduce new ways to interact with customers. For restaurants, this meant providing the ability to order, make payments, have food delivered (or pick up) and manage loyalty with a simple, rich and more engaged mobile experience. Sadly, most have struggled to deliver. 

Are apps for restaurants the right mobile approach to engage customers, increase visits, and develop a level of loyalty? In 2019, I believe an unlikely hero: Rich Communications Services (RCS) and more specifically Google’s Rich Business Messaging (RBM) implementation as the next level of SMS messaging – will blow apps out of the water.

Restaurant Apps Were a Good Idea 

The novelty of restaurants getting in the app race was great. They saw the app as an opportunity initially to help customers find the nearest restaurant, look at the menu and provide a discount or other incentive with the initial app download. Unfortunately, reality set in as users started abandoning the apps. Why? The apps lacked an understanding of the core customer journey – the experience was not robust and rich (instead, it increased friction), lacked processes to capture data to better understand the customer with each visit, and had little or no connection with the point-of-sale, where the transactions actually occurred. These missteps led to the growing abandonment rate and churn of users. It is clear that restaurant apps had their moment, but lost in the end by not understanding the long-term goal of customer retention.

Despite the rate of failure, restaurant apps did take a great portion of marketing budgets over the past several years. Most QSR and fast casual restaurant chains turned their focus to apps to expand their brand on mobile, but knowing the failure rate, was it the best approach? If you are considering an app, ask yourself this: Does this approach on mobile ensure a more effective way to communicate with and understand your customers, while maintaining their loyalty? 

Starbucks understood these goals and achieved them. As one of the best-in-class mobile experiences, the Starbucks app has very little competition. The app has garnered a higher number of users than Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay according to eMarketer. Even more, Starbucks said that “its mobile order-and-pay system accounted for 12 percent of all U.S. transactions” in the first quarter of this year. Now, if you’re a CMO at an up-and-coming restaurant brand, you’re probably salivating at the data from customer analytics, preferences, and purchase history. But what you should know before you build out or overhaul your mobile effort is that Starbucks is surely the exception, not the rule.

According to Localytics, the average e-commerce or retail app can expect to retain only 23 percent of users after 90 days, with the average user-churn adding up to a massive 71 percent of app users across all industries. And that app abandonment rate is only even an option to about 75 percent of customers according to Pew Research. Here are some reasons why restaurant apps have failed as they:

• Lacked features for today’s customers including ordering ahead, loyalty programs, discounts.
• Didn’t delivery significant value to be used every day.
• Did not include compelling customer features (e.g., nearest location, displaying the menu, ordering ahead).
• Were slow and unintuitive, creating a poor customer experience.

But there is a way to evolve your app and provide a great experience, understand your customer and their individual journey (each time), and keep them that is even more cost effective than an app.

Pass on the App – Consider RCS Instead

A simple way to directly impact your bottom line is by increasing customer frequency and spend. It’s cheaper, easier, and more effective to retain a loyal customer than it is to acquire a new one. So before you start looking into the introduction of a branded mobile approach to your marketing plan, you should gauge what kind of retention you can expect from your current customers.

RCS messaging is aiming to be the next evolution of SMS messaging with a rich media “app-like” approach. Messaging is the most used “app” by consumers on any smartphone platform, and RCS is ready to take that messaging experience to the next level. To date:
 

• In 2018, the GSMA stated that five billion people around the world have the ability to send and receive messages via SMS.
   
• The number of monthly texts sent has increased by more than 7,700 percent over the last decade per Statistic Brain’s U.S. Text Messaging Statistics.
   
• According to the Pew Research Center’s study on U.S. Smartphone Use in 2015, 97 percent of Americans, in particular, text at least once a day.
   
• 82 percent of consumers keep SMS notifications [native, iMessage and Android] turned on according to Twilio’s Messaging Consumer Report. 

Another key point is the data RCS obtains. This can be used to customize to every customer interaction to provide a better experience each time they experience your RCS campaign. 

CASE STUDY: Subway

The Challenge

Subway began using SMS in 2015, acquiring almost six million opted-in consumers who get weekly offers on mobile. By 2018, they wanted a more personal, on-brand, interactive way to connect with customers and drive engagement. Subway teamed with Arizona-based Mobivity, aggregators who focus on driving repeat sales. “When they brought Rich Communication Services (RCS) to us, we thought it was an incremental change from an operations and execution perspective that could yield a sea change of results,” says Carissa Ganelli, Subway’s Chief Digital Officer.

The Approach

RCS upgrades SMS with branding, rich media, interactivity, and analytics – essentially all of the rich interface experiences of an app without the consumer pain of discovering, installing, and maintaining login credential for another smartphone app. For brands, it delivers countless possibilities for engagement and on-brand customer experiences. “As marketers, we know that images usually sell more and lift conversion rates, and that you can't do any of that in SMS,” Ganelli says. “Consumers don't have to download anything to get that graphical interface since RCS lives within the native messaging app.”

The restaurant chain began test campaigns in Los Angeles, Houston, and Cincinnati, and they have since expanded into more US markets. Subway and Mobivity conducted A/B testing, with one group receiving the offers via RCS and the other SMS. The words matched exactly, but the RCS version included brand and product images and buttons.

Subway ran two offers. The first week they promoted two foot-long sandwiches for $11.99. The second week, it was a $20 meal deal (which typically delivers a lower redemption than the other price point discount). The RCS-versus-SMS test campaigns required no additional training for Subway restaurant staff. Ganelli sees big things ahead for Subway’s use of RCS, “We’re going to keep using RCS in more markets. It’s really exciting!”

The Results

Ganelli marvels at the “blow-the-doors-off” response rates from RCS. The conversion rate was 140 percent higher than for standard SMS for the two-sandwich deal, and 51 percent higher for the $20 meal deal. Ganelli notes, “Because of the RCS technology, the only thing that would have surprised me is if it didn't have a higher response rate.”

• 140 percent more conversions (sandwiches)
• 51 percent more conversions (meal deal)

  

Effective Marketing and Engagement Tool

As a proven engagement tool, RCS messaging’s speed, agility and performance enables a great customer experience in which customers use on a daily basis. Here’s what RCS can do for restaurant marketers:

• Deliver core functionality of advanced restaurant smartphone apps plus the ability to chat directly with customer support representatives.
• Turns any mobile device into a point of sale with order ahead and payment thanks to native integration with Google Pay.  
• Converts transactional and marketing messages to customer engagement opportunities without needing to download an app.
• Deliver offers and promotions to opted-in users with rich media in the form of images, video, rich cards and carousel views.
• Track user engagement in the form of message views (read receipts), clicks, shares and location.
• As RCS matures, mobile devices will offer a ‘Chatbot’ directories, similar to app stores, to help consumers discover RCS-powered services like delivery, loyalty management and customer feedback with a simple tap. 

For restaurants, the winning solution to retaining your customers is keeping them engaged. Many restaurant apps lacked value and created too much friction to retain consumers, so their potential for failure was imminent.

All in all, providing customers a rich mobile experience, meet their needs today and tomorrow and optimize their engagement with every visit you will win every time. That winning formula is RCS.  The future is around the corner to achieve just that.  The GSMA is predicting that 86 percent of smartphones will be RCS-enabledby 2020 – proving this point.

Starving for Engagement: Why Restaurants Apps Failed to Satisfy Customers’ Appetite  posted first on happyhourspecialsyum.blogspot.com

The Power of Scent Marketing (Infographic)

Scent marketing has been used across many industries to influence and build relationships with customers.

Scent, which is tied to the portion of the brain that controls memory and emotion, can conjure many different feelings. Retailers will often use scent to create a cohesive brand image or make a certain impression on their customers.

The restaurant industry, however, is an industry where scent marketing can be used in many different ways. Many times, it’s to increase sales or highlight a certain offering. For example, Cinnabon intentionally places their ovens toward the front of the stores so that the delicious scent of cinnamon rolls can waft out to potential customers.

Coffee shops are also known to use scent marketing to increase sales. For example, it’s been reported that Starbucks adds the scent of coffee to their HVAC systems to overpower any smell their food offerings might be emitting and remind customers to purchase coffee.

While many restaurants enhance the already pleasant aromas from food to entice customers in or increase sales, one of the more popular uses of scent marketing in the industry is to keep certain spaces smelling clean. For example, many restaurants will pump a fresh, clean smell into the bathrooms. This article on ambient-scenting for restaurants is among MRM's all-time most popular reads.

There are endless ways the restaurant industry can use scent to their advantage while building relationships with their customers and creating lasting impressions. The below visual from FragranceX explores how scent marketing can be used to the restaurant and hospitality industry’s benefit.

The Power of Scent Marketing (Infographic) posted first on happyhourspecialsyum.blogspot.com

MRM EXCLUSIVE: Seven Reasons Mobile Back Office Tech is a Must-Have for Restaurants

Mobile technology has permeated nearly every aspect of our lives. We’re connected at work, at home, on vacation, while we sleep and even when we eat. When was the last time you visited a restaurant where at least half the patrons weren’t glued to their phones?

The restaurant industry has rolled out a cornucopia of technology to feed our digital appetite, including free Wi-Fi, tableside ordering and gaming consoles and even self-service kiosks. Technology has become an integral part of the dining experience, some restaurants have even offered kids a free meal if parents ditch their phones, just to differentiate and get patrons to unplug and be fully present to enjoy the experience.

It’s painfully ironic that while it’s a technology free-for-all out front, in the back office, restaurant management is still tethered to archaic systems.

But it’s painfully ironic that while it’s a technology free-for-all out front, in the back office, restaurant management is still tethered to archaic systems. The lone desktop machine is a bane to their existence, forcing mangers to work longer hours, make multiple trips to the store on their days off and walk thousands of more steps every shift.

While mobile ordering and POS systems have become mainstream and mobile loyalty and marketing solutions are commonplace, once again, these are mostly for the purpose of making things more convenient for the customer. Certainly, that’s important, but leveraging those same benefits for restaurant management can be truly game changing when it comes to operational and staff efficiency.

In fact, faced with growing competition for patrons and staff, a potential economic downturn looming on the horizon and the rising cost of doing business, implementing mobile technology that unleashes management from the back-office desktop can be critical to business growth.

Here are seven ways that mobile back-office tech can make your restaurant run smoother:

Better Service

With legacy back-office desktop systems, managers must leave the floor to order supplies, deal with vendor issues or handle a scheduling problem. Time spent behind closed doors is time taken away from customer service and staff support. With mobile solutions that provide access to back office functions from a tablet or mobile phone, managers can take swift action on tasks like procurement, scheduling, payroll and more, right where they stand. This not only saves time, but also keeps managers out front where they’re needed most.

Improved Staffing Efficiency

With conventional tools, scheduling can be a hot mess. Schedule changes kick off a flurry of text messages and generate a mountain of stress. Call offs and no shows compress that chaos into a panic-filled frenzy to ensure adequate coverage. But with mobile staffing solutions, employees can view schedules and request a shift change directly from their mobile device. A manager can approve it with one click from their device, and the system runs smoothly and stress-free. If extra help is needed, managers can issue a request for additional staff or to cover a call off or no show and employees are immediately notified of the opening. This functionality not only makes things run smoother and with less stress for the manager, but also lets staff take on more hours if they’d like and creates a modern, efficient workplace environment that appeals to younger, tech-savvy workers.

Happier Managers, Better Results

In many restaurants, managers often don’t have time to spend a large chunk of their day on recruiting, payroll, schedule and more, which forces them to work overtime to complete those office tasks. And, when an issue crops up on their day off, they’re forced to come into work. The burden results in frustrated, burned out and overworked managers, which puts the restaurant at risk for losing them. With mobile solutions, managers can keep tabs on real-time store performance, payroll and scheduling from anywhere, and can solve problems remotely, without having come into the office. When managers are happy, so is their team, and that means improved service and better results.

Access to the Latest Tech

For years, traditional back-end software has come in the form of a bloated, expensive on-premise software that was mostly out of reach for smaller establishments. But, cloud computing and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions have made powerful software infinitely more accessible and affordable. Most mobile solutions operate in the cloud, which dramatically reduces the cost and IT resources required to access and run the software. Since they no longer have to buy an entire suite of custom software, even the small shops can leverage the same powerful tools as Fortune 500 conglomerates with lower total hardware, software and overall IT cost.

Modular Options

In the days of desktop software, vendors sold one-size-fits-all or bespoke solutions that tried to be all things to every customer. Now, many solutions are available with modular components, allowing restaurants to choose only those modules that are valuable and useful for their operations. That means, rather than having to invest in massive software suites, you can build your own customized solution that gives you the tools you need to fit your restaurant’s operations.

Ubiquitous Access

With mobile solutions that make data available in the cloud, franchise and/or chain management can check in on performance at each location and easily see how things are going in different stores. Instead of asking managers to manually compile lengthy reports (adding to their already too-long back office burden), this ubiquitous access enables more agile decision making and the ability to respond to issues quickly and appropriately.  

Save Money and Headaches

Manual inventory records, hundreds of sticky notes, myriad paperwork and shift logs are a recipe for paper clutter and lost information. By implementing mobile back-office management technology, restaurants can not only save paper for more sustainable operations, but also save money and headaches. With mobile inventory tracking, digital shift logs and electronic personnel documentation, managers can say goodbye to lost documents and missing data and share critical data across every shift. 

Mobile technology has revolutionized the dining and customer service experience, providing unprecedented convenience for patrons and new marketing channels for restaurants. Unfortunately, some operators have only begun to scratch the service when using mobile tech to streamlining back office operations and delivering that same level of convenience and efficiency for staff and managers. Soon, we can expect to see greater traction in adoption of the type of mobile experience that’s already pervasive in other industries become a part of every eatery’s back-office technology stack.

MRM EXCLUSIVE: Seven Reasons Mobile Back Office Tech is a Must-Have for Restaurants posted first on happyhourspecialsyum.blogspot.com

The Sweet Melt of Success

Fast-growing Melt Shop recently opened the brand’s inaugural franchised restaurant in Newark, Delaware as well as its first location in New Jersey at Rockaway Townsquare, marking entry into Founder and CEO Spencer Rubin’s home state.

The brand has continued to identify the Northeast as a key region for development and has aggressive growth plans for New Jersey, as well as New York, with four new restaurants currently in development. The Newark restaurant is the first of 21 Melt Shop locations that existing franchisee Drew Smith plans to develop throughout Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 

“Melt Shop’s strong performance has allowed us to invest our company capital in key target markets like New Jersey, which has massive, upside potential for our brand. Bringing Melt Shop to my home state feels like things have come full circle, and I’m excited to continue growing our footprint throughout the state,” said Rubin.

Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine caught up with Rubin in Rockaway and discussed the concept, site location, maintaining quality control while growing, brand expansion and more.  

Melt Shop is looking to grow and is seeking well-capitalized multi-unit franchisees in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions, as well as in Florida, who are entrepreneurial, have a strong knowledge of their markets, and are excited to be a part of a culinary experience unmatched in the melted sandwich space. Since launching into franchising in September 2017, Melt Shop has added 20 restaurants to the pipeline and remains well ahead of its goal to open 100 locations by 2022.

The Sweet Melt of Success posted first on happyhourspecialsyum.blogspot.com