Food to go offer helping franchisees at One Stop to reap the growth rewards!
20 May 2019
The ‘food to go’ sector is a multi-billion-pound business and One Stop is helping its franchisees to utilize its enormous growth potential and keep ahead of the competition, by working together to create real stand out for customers.
One Stop works closely with all of its franchisees to help them select the right choice for each store’s demographic with a range of options from coffee suppliers including Costa, Nescafe Alegria and Tchibo, to firm favourites including Slush Puppie, Country Choice and Subway. In order to stay ahead of the competition, new brands, like Stacked, are also brought in and currently Naresh Gajri of One Stop Lamlash Crescent in Glasgow is the only store in the UK to have the brand, which are hot and cold subs made for customers on the spot.
“The feedback we’ve received since having this brand has been really positive, enabling us to compete even further for the lunchtime trade. Sales are building in the few weeks we’ve had Stacked and, with lots of offices around us, as word gets out, we’ll have a real chance to increase our sales significantly.
Naresh liaised closely with his One Stop Business Development Manager, Jim Carroll to ascertain what would work in his franchise: Jim comments: “Naresh wanted more for his store, so we investigated a range of options and Stacked came out on top. He’s worked really hard to get awareness of the new range out, providing samples for a nearby industrial estate and offering quick turnaround platters for local organizations.
“In just a few weeks his basket spend has gone from £5 to £8 / £9 which is really impressive. For us this is a joint enterprise; retailers working with a retailer. Our franchisees have the entrepreneurial knowledge on the ground and from us they get a huge level of commitment and support that they wouldn’t get on their own.”
The store has seen other growth areas and improvements since becoming a One Stop and supplying customers with something a little different, as Naresh explains: “In the past we used to sell very few sandwiches and we’ve seen a 200-300% sale increase in the Meal Deals. We’ve already increased our margin by 4% and we save so much time as deliveries come straight to the door.”
In the next three years it is predicted that the market value of the ‘food to go’ sector will be £23.5 billion, so staying ahead of the curve, in terms of offer, value and choice, is crucial to capitalize on this rise in popularity.
With consumers leading ever demanding lives, with little or no time to prepare food, the convenience of pursuing food to eat on the move is key. However, today’s savvy buyers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their tastes and demands and want a far wider range of choice. They also want this at all times of the day, as Alan Fincham, who runs a Subway within the One Stop in Attleborough, Norfolk explains: “For us it’s about providing our customers with choice, which extends beyond the normal lunchtime rush. We open at 5am every day as we have two food processing factories nearby and their shifts finish at 6am. They want somewhere open that serves them fresh prepared food immediately, so by accommodating their needs helps us to grow at the same time.
“For us the ‘food to go’ sector is worth a great deal to our business as we generally attract the smaller basket spend, so the offer has to be absolutely right. Subway is a strong footfall driver for us, and people go on to purchase more when they’re here. We continue to see new faces every day.
“One Stop is also one of the only retailers still offering the £3 meal deal,” continues Alan. “Customers love it and are undoubtedly drawn to the price but also the very full and varied selection on offer. There are plenty of healthy options to choose from and also dietary considerations are taken into account, which is so important in today’s market.”
Remaining innovative and consistently adapting to market trends is helping One Stop’s franchisees to stand out from the competitive crowd. “It is our job to remain vigilant of the competition and create stand out for our franchisees. It’s a partnership.” concludes Jim.
Sources:
- https://www.talkingretail.com/news/industry-news/convenience-stores-set-cash-food-go-09-08-2017/
- https://www.conveniencestore.co.uk/news/food-to-go-in-convenience-to-grow-05bn-by-2022-/576357.article
- https://www.conveniencestore.co.uk/products-in-depth/food-to-go-tapping-into-new-territories-/551026.article