It's time to get creative

Offering more than just food and drink could be the future, says Tom Fender, Development Director, TWC

Tom Fender, TWC

Now is the time for us to get creative and for foodservice outlets, this could mean adding retail to your offer.

While our report, The Growing Role of Convenience Stores, focuses on convenience stores, it also highlights how consumers are looking for outlets that offer more than just food and drink. It shows that millions of consumers would ‘probably’ or ‘definitely’ use a convenience store that included another outlet, such as a post office, coffee shop, bakery, deli or pharmacy.

HUGE OPPORTUNITY

For restaurants, coffee shops, cafes and outlets with eat-in tables, this offers a huge opportunity. Take inspiration from stores across Asia, which are small but packed with goods as well as tables and chairs, offering hot food to eat in or take away. It all happens seamlessly and is part of Asian contemporary lifestyle.

Expanding your outlet to offer groceries or other retail opportunities could open up your customer base and increase sales. This is all about fishing in other ponds – not just your own pond – to build growth and traffic through the door. Now is the time to take an entrepreneurial approach as opposed to simply discounting and hoping to draw people in through price, which, of course, reduces margin and profitability.

SEE TWC’S FULL REPORT ON TWCGROUP. NET