How US Retailers Rely on Technology for Profitable Foodservice Operations
Foodservice is one of the top three convenience drivers in 2022. As more consumers demand a wider variety of fresh and healthy options alongside all-time classics like pizza and hot dogs, many convenience retailers are expanding their foodservice offerings.
However, this investment isn’t risk-free. Fresh foodservice is a battle against time and waste, and onsite preparation can be labor-intensive. And while customers are usually willing to pay more for these experiences, fresh options can quickly make or break your foodservice operations.
Here are a few ways you can leverage technology to freshen up your food options and cook up a great customer experience.
Reduce Waste by Making the Right Amount
The challenge of foodservice inventory management lies within the complexity of relationships inside the preparation process and by the simple fact that most of it isn’t barcoded. By gaining visibility into demand, you can accurately forecast these items based on historical granular data.
Predictive analytics are the essence of a good foodservice program that lets store-level staff know when to make something and how many to make. Waste management and inventory management work together to help ensure balanced inventory levels and waste reduction.
Increase Freshness with Timely Production
It’s hard to forget a bad experience, like taking a bite of a delicious-looking BLT sandwich, only to taste an overly crunchy black piece of what used to be bacon. Or seeing that corner of melted cheese that’s turned bright orange because it’s stale. Making the right amount of food at the right times means you can serve up what people want-when they want it.
Understanding the nature of specific food items and mapping tasks is essential to maintaining quality. For example, freshly baked muffins can stay fresh a bit longer than freshly chopped salad. And you probably need more meal kits around dinnertime than at noon. Smart production planning depends on having highly accurate forecasts.
Schedule the Right Tasks at the Right Time
It’s equally difficult to forget a disappointing experience, such as entering a store at 8 in the morning only to discover they’ve run out of breakfast sandwiches, and you’d have to wait at least 15 minutes until a new batch is ready. Time-of-day forecasting and automated job scheduling provide simple but enhanced task management capabilities for your employees.
Production is spread throughout the day, providing the freshest products to your customers in a timely manner while eliminating the manual process of outlining every task individually. In other words, technology does the work so your store employees know when to make certain items or prepare stations for the next shift.
Account for Seasonality and Demographics
Did you know that nearly 30% of daily c-store foodservice orders are made up of baked goods? Using advanced data analysis of market-basket transactions, you can predict what popular breakfast items and baked snacks will sell at each store at which time of day. You’ll also need to anticipate seasonal changes that could impact supply, demand, or timing. And when you’re pushing a new promotion, you need to be prepared to keep up with anticipated demand.
Embracing the latest consumer trends is critical to building a truly successful foodservice program. However, you’ll need to continually monitor and adjust these programs by store or district to get the most value out of them. Knowing the demographics and taste preferences of consumers in your area will help you tailor your food offerings to satisfy their particular appetites.
Fine-tuning your foodservice program with modern technologies can help you control waste, increase profitability, and deliver more memorable customer experiences.
Are you ready to freshen up your foodservice? Learn more about solutions for convenience retailers and see how PDI can help you transform your business.
