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5 TIPS TO DRIVING YOUR CONVENIENCE STORE PIZZA SALES
September 5, 2019 by Ally Azzarelli – According to the 2018 Pizza Power Report, Americans spend nearly $45 billion on pizza a year. With 43 percent of consumers ordering pizza weekly, c-store retailers like Casey’s, CEFCO, Circle K, Kum & Go and Yesway—just to name a few—are catering to their customers’ pizza cravings. Check out five ways to push your convenience store pizza profits.
- Maximize Your Messaging
Alert your customers of your delicious hot pizza offering with indoor and outdoor signage. Start by featuring impactful, storytelling-style POP in the forecourt or fuel pump areas. Avoid stock art which can cheapen the overall look and feel of your stores. A quick photo shoot truly helps capture realistic visuals of your mouthwatering slices. Guide hungry patrons to pizza warmers using affordable wayfinding, but be sure to position them in an obvious location such as the front of the store. - Leverage Loyalty Programs
A staggering 84 percent of consumers will remain loyal to a brand that offers a rewards program. If your c-store already has a mobile app and loyalty program, why not combine a pizza component to incentivize your customers to purchase pizza at your store? Keep your pizza loyalty program simple so shoppers and employees know how it works. Using creative in-store visual merchandising can help outline the program’s rules as well as drive awareness. - Develop a Brand
Bring your c-store pizza offering to life with a cohesive brand identity package your customers will easily recognize. A new logo, font, colors, graphics, visuals, messaging and décor differentiates your pizza brand from the competition. Integrate your pizza branding into your stores to create a complete in-store experience your c-store customers will find inviting and memorable. Keep your brand top of mind so hungry shoppers will stop in for slices at lunch or a pie for dinner. - Promote Your Pizza
Create special offers and campaigns to help increase your pizza sales. Casey’s, a retailer known for their made-from-scratch pizza, promotes a variety of specials on social media. Casey’s customers can earn a free pizza by purchasing 10 large pizzas or collecting box tops while Kum & Go shoppers can enjoy BOGO fresh-baked pizza on Fridays. Looking to connect with the community? Sponsor a concert, special event or neighborhood pizza party for a good cause. Become newsworthy by staying up on food trends. For example, 7-Eleven Canada recently launched Beyond Sausage & Roasted Veggie Pizza in several of its stores. - Refresh or Remodel
Depending on your pizza program, size of your stores and your budget, you can enhance your brand with a category refresh or affordable remodel. Retailers can go all in by creating a comfortable family-friendly indoor and/or outdoor dining section or a hip, urban style pizza pub area. For stores that offer order-ahead mobile options, you may want to develop a dedicated space for prepaid pick up. To create a local feel, customize your c-store pizza by tying in area elements specific to each store’s location.
We help nearly 50 percent of today’s top c-store retailers save money and drive foot traffic. For additional tips on convenience store or foodservice branding, photography, marketing, remodeling and more, contact our industry experts today.
