Are you prepared to compete with your local restaurants again in a post-COVID-19 era? Did you close a salad bar and fill the equipment with drinks or something other than salad fixings? The time is now to make changes to your hot and cold case line-ups and get in a position to sell “grab and go” and prepared meals for pick up, carry out and delivery.
Salad kiosks and sushi bars have been replacing the classic salad bar during the pandemic. Retailers are adding online ordering and pick up to compete with local restaurants that have recently opened with limited or no restrictions. The sharp increase in sales that occurred in 2020 can decrease just as fast if “grab and go” and prepared meals for pick up, carry out and delivery is not the focus of AWG member retailer delis.
Prepared meals is a strong trend to take advantage of. If positioned correctly in your store, prepared meals can add significant sales increases. If you partner with an online ordering service, the sales increase can be even greater. During COVID your customers enjoyed ordering online and picking up hot, ready-made meals from restaurants. With just a few equipment changes and the correct ad placement, your deli can easily become an online restaurant.
What’s it take to get there? Add temperature control and proper packaging for warming to instantly transform your deli area into an online pick up station. You can also partner with a local restaurant to sell pre-packaged meals in a heat-and-serve format. We have seen great success with local BBQ chains and small Italian restaurants using this format. Many retailers are also adding self-checkout in the deli to expedite the payment of these orders.
In 2021 the new normal in deli includes the following:
1. Grab and go
2. Online ordering (either through your own service or third-party operators)
3. Meals for pick up.
If you pair these with a delivery service, you can add even more sales. There are several examples of small rural AWG grocers adding a 15 percent gross profit in deli sales alone by utilizing these tactics.
Whatever you do in 2021, make your top priority in deli “grab and go.” It’s simply a must and when paired with self-checkout machines and warming tables, you will be able to compete with nearly any restaurant.
