Foodservice Suppliers like The Coca-Cola Co. Can Drive New Electricity into your Business

 

Independent restaurants, convenience stores, grocers and benefit from a close relationship with key suppliers according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. Large chains are not the only ones that can benefit from a partnership with a key supplier.

Johnson, stated “during these times of uncertainty, it is important to ask for help, and take it where ever you can get it. Here is some good news, many of your suppliers may have an answer to a problem you could not afford, solve on your own or for some of you even knew about.”

Success does leave clues and the Coco-Cola company is a key supplier to many that created a platform to help clients succeed today.  If fact it’s their goal to help you as that also helps them.

Take for example “Usability Testing”.  Did you know that “usability testing acts as a complimentary and remote resource that restaurants and c-stores can use to uncover ways to optimize their websites and apps? Have your ever tried to use an app that did not work.  Even one that does not work well will hurt your business.

Since, COVID-19 has reshaped consumer behavior, independent restaurants, c-stores, and grocery stores have to keep up with chains and small chains need help as well. To help drive top line sales, bottom line profits while garnering new Gen Z and Millennial customers. Grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food has proven to be a sales and profit savior for all sectors of retail foodservice. Ordering via an app is close to being deemed essential for survival according to Johnson. Having an app that works and works well will drive new electricity into your brand.

All foodservice retailers today should be enhancing their digital footprints by creating or updating their websites and mobile apps, as more interactions move from in person to virtual. Thus, “The Coca-Cola Co. has rolled out a variety of solutions and tools to help its restaurant customers digitize — many of which can also be leveraged by convenience retailers as they move into similar spaces.

Coca-Cola Digital Marketplace launched this summer, featuring digital solutions to help operators enhance and expand their off-premise and digital order capabilities. Coca-Cola customers receive exclusive discounts to technologies, including Omnivore’s Menu Management System and OneDine’s Off Premise Solutions.

Omnivore’s Menu Management System is a single-source-of-truth software that allows operators to own their digital menu content and control their brand across any digital platform. Enhancing digital ordering and third-party delivery, MMS enables orders from third-party app providers to be injected directly into the Point of Sale (POS), providing operators complete visibility and control over consumers’ digital experiences and access to valuable performance data.

OneDine’s scan-to-order solution allows guests to simply drive up to a parking space and scan the QR code from the standing sign with their mobile device. This launches a mobile-friendly web page for the outlet where the guest can order food and beverages and pay from their phone, and have the food and drinks delivered right to their car.

Coca-Cola is also offering Usability Testing as a complimentary and remote resource for operators to uncover ways to optimize their websites and apps. A panel of users tests the app or website, and Coca-Cola delivers video and audio recordings of feedback as well as a robust findings report.

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply chain and includes such things as fresh foods, online ordering, delivery, plant based foods, sampling, toy’s, cereal, developing brands,  grocerant positioning, fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing.

All food and beverage retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food and beverages that are portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not different.  Does your retail path forward look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Why?

Don’t over reach. Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions® can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit us on our social media sites by clicking the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

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