Sheetz is Primed with Voice-Activated Ordering

Driving customer relevance is but one of the clues to the continued success of Sheetz convenience Stores according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  Another of the clues too Sheetz on-going success is its unique ability to leverage partnerships cultivating long term relationships.  That’s just what it has down with Amazon according to Johnson. 

Talk about edifying the relationships with its customers.  Now the Sheetz customers have a new way of ordering their favorite Made to Order food and they can do that from the comfort of their couch.  All they have to do is ask Alexa.

The Sheetz help created a new skill for Amazon’s Alexa, an interactive, voice-activated personal assistant, which allows customers to place an order just by voicing the command. Customers who have a Sheetz online ordering account and an Alexa-enabled device can use the new Sheetz skill for Alexa by:

1.       Logging into their account on the Sheetz website and selecting their favorite order and preferred store for pickup;

2.       Searching for and enabling the Sheetz ordering skill through any Alexa-enabled device or Alexa app;

3.       Saying, “Alexa, start Sheetz,” or “Alexa, order my favorite from Sheetz”; and

4.       Letting Alexa guide the rest of the way.

Ryan Sheetz, associate vice president of Brand Strategies for Sheetz  stated "We could not be more excited to bring this next generation of innovation to our customers and industry," said . "From the inception of our MTO menu more than thirty years ago, to the introduction of touch-screen ordering in 1993, to the launch of the voice-activated ordering today, our goal has always been to continue to innovate and reinvent ourselves in order to provide the ultimate convenience to our customers."

Success does leave clues www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  is the global leader in grocerant niche business development.  We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities.  Has your company had a Grocerant ScoreCard completed a Grocerant Program Assessment, or new Grocerant niche product Ideation?  Want one?  Call 253-759-7869 Email: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us

December 17, 2017

Restaurants need to Double Down on Delivery

Driving top line sales and bottom line profits while consumer’s path to purchase is evolving faster than most legacy restaurant brands has created a quagmire that stagnates customer count growth according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

In a recent Digital Commerce Survey from BRP found that same-day delivery has tripled in the past year with more growth to come. Here are some specifics:

1.       Currently, 51 percent of retailers indicate they offer same-day delivery, a sharp jump from 16 percent last year.

2.       Within the next two years, 65 percent plan to offer this service.

3.       Delivery through third-party services, such as Uber or Lyft, also rose from 20 percent last year to 32 percent this year, as retailers try different ways of offering customers the flexibility to shop, purchase and receive goods on their own terms, the survey found.

Jeffrey Neville, vice president at BRP  stated "With Amazon offering same-day delivery in some markets, the push is on for retailers to get items delivered to customers as soon as possible," said. "Autonomous delivery and distribution are the next step with self-driving vehicles soon a reality and a few food delivery start-ups already testing the concept."

The path to purchase is evolving fast driven by consumer behavior and mobile technology each are dramatically changing the traditional retail model, according to the BRP report. Within Foodservice  Amazon continues to disrupt brick-and-mortar retail through the acquisition of Whole Foods, restaurant franchise bankruptcies and company owned store closures are changing the landscape for food retailers.

What’s next according to the report, key customer imperatives for the future are:

1.       Combining behavioral, historical and customer profile data aids retailers in delivering tailored and relevant content to meet customers' individual needs. Thirty-eight percent of retailers indicate that improving personalization is a top digital customer experience priority.

2.       Customer expectations for a personalized, seamless experience require retailers to follow customers' journeys as they research and shop from anywhere. Nearly half (49 percent) of retailers will offer customers the ability to 'start anywhere, finish anywhere' within the next five years.

3.       Retailers' technology, processes and organization need to be unified and aligned across channels to offer a seamless and consistent customer experience. More than half (54 percent) of retailers indicate that creating a consistent brand experience across channels is a top priority.

Are you Looking A Customer Ahead Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a new menu product segment and brand and menu integration strategy.  Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant/ or twitter.com/grocerant