By PDI CStore Essentials Team on January 28, 2020

How to Craft Your C-Store Game Plan for Super Bowl Sunday

Whether you’re an NFL fan or just someone who enjoys the commercials, you know the Super Bowl is coming soon. Super Bowl Sunday is one of the biggest days in food and alcohol consumption. As a convenience store operator, keeping tabs on the sports industry can play a vital role in your store’s performance.

According to an article published by Nielson, in the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, consumers spent 1.3 billion on beer, 278 million on potato chips, and 979 million on soft drinks. So, what does this mean for your c-store?

C-stores have a prime opportunity to benefit from market demand. Make your c-store the one-stop-shop for the football fan’s needs. By recognizing the opportunity to provide snacks and drinks for game-day, operators can position their c-store as part of the Super Bowl consumption boom.

All you need is a game plan. First, determine which items your customers will be looking for. Next, offer a promotion on those items to leave customers feeling like they’ve cashed in on a deal from your store. Last, designate an area within your c-store that makes it easy for your customers to walk in and find those items. Remember, above all else, appealing to your customers is the prime focus.

Crafting your promotions.

Once you’ve selected the items you’d like to promote for Super Bowl Sunday, it’s time to craft promotions specific to those items. Offering BOGO’s (Buy-One-Get-One) or bundle options are great ways to drive increased sales and return sales to your business.

If you’re uncomfortable offering a BOGO, try modified options such as Buy-One-Get-One Half Off, Buy-Two-Get-One Half Off, etc. Bundling options is another great way customers can get more out of a deal. Try offering a bundle around drink/snack combos (alcoholic, non-alcoholic, or both) or snack/dip combos. Just make sure the BOGO or bundle deals you create work well for your business. There’s no point in offering these types of deals unless they ultimately increase your profit.

Does your c-store offer foodservice? Include a promotion around those items as well. Whether it’s roller-deals, wings, pizza, or chicken, customers are looking to feed more than themselves on game-day. Providing a discount or deal on large-quantity purchases is a win-win for both you and your customer.

How do you know if your promotions are working?

Make sure to track your inventory levels to best understand which combination of items and promotions are most appealing to your customers. Take advantage of product count management that tracks how much stock is on your shelves down to the item level. The solution can suggest when to reorder stock based on store purchase history and trend data analysis.

Once you’ve created your game plan, it’s time to run with it. And remember, for whichever promotion style you choose, maintaining the right stock in the right amount is key to enticing a repeat customer.

Published by PDI CStore Essentials Team January 28, 2020