How to Drive Foodservice Sales In Your New Markets - GSP

According to NACS, c-store foodservice sales have grown to $42 billion a year. Along with recent industry mergers and acquisitions, that has led many of you with an already-established foodservice brand to expand your business model into new markets.

It’s easy to think about economy of scale and roll out your existing marketing. However, that approach doesn’t always apply the way you would hope, for a number of internal and external reasons. Foodservice especially is challenging. It’s a dynamic category. People change and trends change. In a new market, you must prove yourself all over again, learning how to first attract and then serve that new customer base. Here are three proven tactics to help your store branch out – without getting stuck on a limb:

1. Update food photography: Visuals are especially important to new customers. They want to see what they’re buying, how big your portions are and what extras are included. They’re also judging quality. Are the images you are using in your advertising as beautiful and as current as what your customers see on social media? Do they look as mouth-watering as the images they see in the windows of a competing QSR or grocery chain? Photography is also the best way to show off food freshness.
2. Scream your offering in just the stores that you want to impact: Take a tip from the fast food giants and start building desire from the street. Use teaser signage to get customers thinking about food as soon as they enter the parking lot, as they fill-up and as they walk in the store.

   Also consider the factors that would entice new customers to try your product, either incentives or messaging or both. Just as you can tailor your digital media mix by market, we can target your in-store marketing. We make it easy to switch up messaging with our personalized signage kits by site. This ensures that each store gets exactly the POP it needs.

3. Pay extra attention to execution in new markets: Remember that your employees in these markets are new as well. A few additional steps may be needed to help ensure proper execution of the foodservice program. Make sure to document your current standards so that the new locations will operate in a similar fashion. You may consider sending internal promotional material to these stores that talks about the food program’s legacy, your vision, tips on equipment care, nutritional information and more. Help educate new employees about your offerings and they will soon become your brand advocates.

Are you looking to grow? Need more ideas to take advantage of new market opportunities? We can help you create a custom look that sets you apart from the competition. GSP offers expertise in food photography, store-specific messaging and driving store-level execution. Email or call today!