A US food researcher wrote recently that when it comes to snacks like crisps people are looking for the product to taste great and when they see that the product has a "better-for-you" positioning, they make the assumption that the taste will have been compromised. Good taste is mostly going to have priority over better-for-you when it comes to impulse purchases. However, this will not stop manufacturers from constantly trying to produce the better-for-you product that tastes great! If taste makes the shoppers happy, then you need to focus your efforts on providing the right products. This does not mean that you ignore the shopper looking for a better-for-you treat but it does mean that in providing for them you must not forget that the essential purpose of a snack is pleasure.
True in part to my New Year resolution, I held a business meeting in an independent coffee shop today just next door to a Starbucks. The cafe was presented well and four staff were busy preparing for the lunchtime rush, at 11am. As my guests were late, I had a half hour overview of footfall on the street outside and in the restaurant. Six customers. Barely enough to form the queue in Starbucks or Pret-a-Manger just down the road. Plus one Italian girl who dropped off her CV. Some people stopped to look at the posters in the window and moved on. The owners seemed quite happy. When I left just after 1215, they were doing brisk trade. However, I have the impression that the business is not working hard enough. It could easily have managed 120 customers between 11 and 12, instead of 12. This is lost profit as the fixed overheads and staff costs are already in place. The owners are clearly busy - perhaps too busy to take time to look at the potential that their cafe has. What shou...
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