Whether it’s a freshly brewed coffee or a succulent roast chicken, a hot to-go offer is a great way of bringing customers into your store. And it all starts with the right equipment.
Throughout the recent tumultuous years of rolling lockdowns and shifting trading regulations, one shopper trend has remained: the desire for convenience. The rise in online shopping has been testament to this, as has the popularity of one-stop shops.
Meris Food Equipment General Manager Michael Brick says customers are looking for more product from fewer destinations.
“They don’t want to travel as far and they want to make fewer stops,” he says. “There’s demand for retailers to provide their existing customers with more, including food to go and food for now.
“Chilled food to go is an easier component for stores to get right, but without a hot food component, it’s not a complete offer. We see some great opportunities for stores to build a quality and consistent hot food offer that will separate them from the pack.”
As Australia’s love affair with quality coffee continues, an in-store barista coffee offer is also becoming an important drawcard for many retailers.
“Barista-quality coffee in most retail spaces offers consumers the ability to grab and go without the fuss of finding a local coffee shop to get your daily fix,” says Barista Technology CEO Brett Bolwell.
“For owners, the attraction is having a regular customer purchase coffee along with other items, such as food and other grocery items.”
So, what should retailers look for in hot equipment and when is the best time to invest or upgrade? Find out in the March issue of Retail World.
