Black Friday 2022 - if you plan it well, this day can be exceptionally profitable.
Your customers are expecting deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday - two of the busiest days of the year for online retailers.
But the 2022 Recession has some other plans for retailers in the US.
Okay, don't panic, and hear us out!
While it is estimated that the overall spending at online stores will definitely go down, online food demand is expected to go up drastically.
Why?
Because people are going to avoid frivolous spending and would prefer ordering in. And a majority of independent restaurants are going to attain the benefit of this dynamic shift in demand.
Here is our pro tip to increase online sales:
Create Bundle Packs
Our pro tip for restaurants is to prepare food bundles for Black Friday 2024. These types of offers work like a charm to drive sales during an event like Black Friday. Customers get to enjoy a rather large quantity of food at a reduced price while restaurants get to increase their average order value for the event. It’s a win-win.
We saw similar trends during the Pandemic as well when people got inclined to order in. Here's a quick review of the demand that might help you create profitable family bundles.
Read the Article here: 3 Family Meal Kits Ideas To Increase Online Food Orders
Team up with another local business
Partnering with another local business is a great way to drive sales with the added benefit of expanding your customer base by tapping into a market you couldn’t enter before. You can offer joint coupons by partnering with any other business which has a similar ethos to yours.
For instance, customers can show a receipt from your restaurant and receive a 20 percent discount on the selected cab service.
If you are a specialized restaurant like a farm-to-table, you can stimulate your potential customers by offering by teaming up with stores selling sustainable goods.
Create a microsite promotion
A microsite can be extremely effective in highlighting a specific promotional campaign and for an event as huge as Black Friday, this could prove to be one worthwhile investment.
With a standalone microsite, you can increase customer engagement, reach new audiences, generate excitement about your brand. But here’s a small trick - be creative, but make sure that you provide your customers with ample of information about the campaign, terms of participation and eligibility.
Burger King effectively used this tool when they created the Whopper-shopper.com site, which allowed customers to shop at over 1,000 brands and get a free Whopper voucher with their purchases.
Add in a charitable cause
People tend to overspend on a Black Friday weekend. It would be a good idea to make them realize that some of their expenditure could be used to help someone in need.
As a restaurant, you can come up with offers where a portion of Black Friday weekend sales goes towards a charity. Make it exclusive for online-only purchases.
One of the most tried and tested campaigns is “Buy One, Donate One” - where when a customer buys a particular item, you donate the same item to a charity that fights hunger. Throw in an additional 10% off on all orders. This is surely going to gain some momentum and build a buzz.
Discount on the rewards program
This is a good time of the year to promote your restaurant’s rewards program, which will not only result in an immediate boost to business but also ensure repeat customers for the future. You may also want to offer an even deeper discount for the diners who purchase loyalty programs during Black Friday.
On the other hand, you can encourage existing customers to refer family and friends to sign up for the loyalty program by offering bonus points or a small holiday gift like a free dessert or hot chocolate on all orders over the weekend.
Something for the kids
While the adults are already relishing in all the shopping, why not design a deal that exclusively appeals to the kids? After all, they’re not really going to look forward to purchasing things on Black Friday but the food is always a crowd-pleaser for people of all ages.
We are thinking - Kids meal for just $1 when you purchase an adult entree. Of course, you’d need to introduce a separate menu for kids for the holiday season. Restolab’s online ordering system for restaurants offers the flexibility of editing the digital menu in real-time.
Discount on a quick pick-me-up
With people rushing to grab all the best Black Friday deals, they’re sure to exhaust themselves - even those shopping online can tire themselves out by sitting in front of computers or mobile phones all day.
We all deserve a quick break after an overwhelming shopping experience. Don’t we?
What’s better than a refreshing drink to get back all the depleted energy! You can create deals on your drink menu or giveaway free drinks with food orders. For instance; It can be as simple as offering a free drink on a check size of or above $50. Such campaigns are sure to attract eyeballs.
Mix online and offline deals
If you are a restaurant that offers both in-house dining and online ordering services, you can promote sales on both these channels with a mixed bag deal. When a customer orders online, they get a discount the next time they dine-in or vice-versa. This could also be a good way to collate Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals.
Get going now!
Planning an effective promotion can take time, but if you get right, the work will certainly pay off. Don’t wait until Friday to start your promotions! Get into the action now and give your restaurants a head start on the competition.