EP Insights & Action

INSIGHTS THREAD CONSULTANCY
unlikely that the operational and marketing
specialists can achieve this entirely on their
own. The solution is for both parties to
work closely together – to develop creative
concepts and promote to the workforce
by understanding their behaviours and
working patterns.
The catering and hospitality sector can
look once again to the retail sector for
guidance to access markets and buyers
effectively. First because they have embraced
a move to “bricks and clicks” mentality, and
adapted the way they operate to utilise digital
platforms and technology to their advantage.
and enable them to better manage their
production and staffing levels.
Second, in today’s marketplace, caterers
are under increased price pressures. Now,
when inflation has been at 2.9% since May,
(and 2.6% in July) – the highest in nearly four
years, and the cost of quality raw products
is rising (through increased transport,
production costs and fluctuating value of £),
we’re seeing a situation that is intensifying the
squeeze on household budgets and caterers’
ability to deliver at multiple levels.
It’s clear that operators can only offer
competitive pricing to a certain level before
disposable income, caterers must take care
to offer choice, budget options and treats –
as too many overpriced impulse buys is likely
to lead to an increase in packed lunches
from home, delivering a lack of footfall to the
workplace dining room.
Two key areas that
must be improved are
that of a more modern
approach to implementing
culinary development
plans fully on the ground,
along with effective
product marketing.
There are numerous ways catering operators
can benefit from things such as online
ordering to support them not only in engaging
with their customers and gaining insights into
when they think about their food and what
appeals to them through website analytics,
but also in contending with customer queues
at peak service times. It can provide a whole
new sales channel for operators through
targeted marketing campaigns, allowing
them to increase their capacity and sales
without extending their footprint or resource,
there is an impact on quality. Sophisticated
menu engineering techniques should be
applied to ensure menus are inviting and
cost effective. Caterers must be able to
demonstrate value to the customer, and
where new innovative and freshly prepared
concepts are visible, then the whole dining
experience is valued and the possibility of
repeat visits to the canteen far more likely.
Competitively priced premium branded
products are proven to grow average
spends, but with the impending squeeze on
© STYLEPHOTOGRAPHS | 123RF.COM
Ultimately, in workplace catering as in
retail, the responses from caterers must
provide consumers with interactive and
convenient experiences through storytelling
and merchandising, and potentially using
digital technology to allow them to browse,
consider and buy whenever and wherever.
By then targeting and personalising the
food products and services to the customer’s
specific wants and needs (where customers
for example place more value on goods and
services aligned with their individual values
such as preferences for responsibly-sourced
merchandise or local supply), operators
can make employees feel connected to their
workplace and its local community which in
turn stimulates loyalty and habit.
This cannot be achieved by caterers on
the ground alone without specialist
marketing support from research and
segmentation through to integrated
campaigns. It cannot be achieved by dated
head office mass marketing designed to catch
all – promoting all the options a customer
could possibly want and forcing them to
either wade through it or simply ignore it.
After all, if we’re working harder, and feel
more stressed than ever, the last thing any
of us want is to work for our lunch and break
times too.
epmagazine.co.uk | 45