Combatting E-Commerce

🔥 Bonji Hot Takes Volume 35 🔥

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Welcome back to another edition of Bonji Hot Takes! Happy Thursday, we hope your week is going well and you are excited for another fast-approaching weekend. If you want to learn more or look back at our previous tips/hot takes, head over to our website! Aside from producing the best quality, gourmet Açaí, Coconut, Pitaya, and Mango-Pineapple smoothie bowl bases, our blog has been ranked as a top 100 restaurant blog, feel free to check it out for yourself! __________ E-Commerce vs. Brick & Mortar We think it's pretty clear that e-commerce has grown to a place that has put brick & mortar stores at risk. Between Amazon, Ghost Kitchens, and all the other massive e-commerce brands, brick-and-mortar stores have had it hard (not to mention a full two-year pandemic). However, there are still hopes for brick-and-mortar restaurants. Thus, hang in there, we are here to help you find ways to combat the ever-growing online battle.

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Combatting E-Commerce

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Although it may appear e-commerce has completely taken over the world, 2021 represented something special for brick-and-mortar stores. Unlike anytime in history, “Brick and mortar stores grew faster than e-commerce for the first time ever, with physical stores growing at 18.5% versus e-commerce growth of 14.2%.” Of course, we need to take into account that people were getting back outside after being isolated for a full year, which was an extremely tough year for physical stores. However, there is a glimmer of hope to be found in that statistic. Maybe people aren't ready for total online control, even with predictions claiming that by 2040, 90% of all purchases will be made online. That may seem like a bold prediction now, but since 2001, online sales have grown by over 300%, so let's just say we can't really doubt it. Yet, here we are, operating physical stores which need people coming in to continue growing. So now, let's discuss three tips to help get customers off of the online, delivery systems and into your restaurant!

1. Promotions In-store promotions may be the absolute best thing you can do to get people into your store. There are endless promotion ideas out there, but all you really need are 5-7. Ideally, you should have a promotion every day/night that your restaurant is open. Maybe you offer a free shot or beer one night. Maybe it's half-priced appetizers another night. Whatever it may be, there should be something pulling new and returning customers back in. Think about Buffalo Wild Wings for example. They are one of the most successful chain restaurants there is, and they run a promotion nearly every night. Yes, hosting an event for a sports game is great, but amp it up a notch!

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2. Open Up More Often A lot of restaurants are only open for dinner or closed until the afternoon. In our eyes, if you can switch up your menu just a touch, you can be serving from brunch to dinner with no issues. Yes, we are aware that some times of the day are slower than others, thus leading you to spend money just to stay open. However, if you create the right environment and maybe run a promotion, you will definitely pull customers in. For instance, brunch has been exploding in the past few years and many towns don't even have a place to grab bottomless mimosas and food. Boom… you have your new hours. Maybe it's just a weekend brunch opening, but it will still lead to attention and customers flooding through the doors.

3. Increase Pricing on Third Party Deliveries Of course, raising prices is something nobody ever wants to do. However, with third-party services taking such a hefty chunk off the top and customers choosing to ignore your amazing environment, you may want to consider raising those prices. Not only could this lead to a better bottom line, but it also may encourage customers to get out of the house and come visit your physical location. This is the perfect opportunity to hit them with the best experience you can offer, making them a customer for life! You have control over so much more when customers are right there in your restaurant, so take advantage of that.