There is no getting around it: running a coffee shop, a café or any kind of drinks business today is not as easy, as profitable or as fast-growing as it once was. Customer numbers may be rising, but so is the number of competitors — new shops open every day, and the big franchise brands keep expanding their outlets across the country. So if you want to sell more and earn more, brewing a great cup of coffee is no longer enough on its own. You also need well-planned coffee shop promotions to catch the eye of new customers and keep familiar faces coming back for more.
If you run a coffee shop or a café and you are planning a promotion to bring customers back through the door but cannot think what to offer, we have five café promotion ideas for you. None of them are difficult to run, and they will lift your sales further than you might expect.
Café promotion ideas worth trying, and the sales growth they bring
Many people assume a coffee shop promotion can only ever be a discount on drinks, but in reality you can design promotions just as freely as any other kind of retail business. Here are the ideas no coffee shop or café owner should overlook.
1. Run a points collection scheme
Start with the classic coffee shop promotion: a stamp or points scheme. You can set the conditions however you like — count cups, or count spend, for example one stamp per cup, or one stamp for every 100 THB spent — with stamps redeemable for a reward or a free drink. Ideally, run it digitally rather than on paper cards: it is easier for customers and it avoids record-keeping mistakes. As well as lifting sales, this kind of promotion builds you a base of regulars.
2. Special-occasion promotions
Another café promotion worth your attention is one built around a festival or a special day — New Year, Christmas, Songkran, Valentine's Day and other notable dates. You might hand out a small gift, or discount the menu items tied to that festival or season: cutting the price of sodas over the hot season, say, or offering a special price on hot drinks in the cool season.
3. Add privileges with a membership scheme
Everybody likes to feel important, and your customers are no exception. Make them feel that way with a membership scheme full of privileges — a birthday treat, first taste of new menu items, a discount voucher for signing up. When your drinks taste good and members get plenty of perks, turning a passing customer into a regular stops being difficult.
4. Give a discount to customers who bring their own cup
The sustainability trend is in full swing, and more and more people carry their own cup or flask. Coffee shops and cafés can be part of the movement to cut plastic waste by offering a special discount to anyone who brings a cup for their drink. Even a 5 THB or 10% reduction does a great deal for your shop's image and wins customers over.
5. Bundle deals that lift the average basket
We will finish our café promotion ideas with bundles — a drink paired with a pastry, or two drinks together. Either makes customers feel they are getting good value and encourages them to drop in more often. You could run a different bundle each day of the week, or save your promotions for the quieter days such as midweek, both to lift sales and to give slower-selling drinks or bakes a chance to shine.
Promotion tactics every coffee shop and café owner should know
An appealing café promotion is one thing, but the tactics behind it are just as important if it is going to drive sales effectively. Here are the ones worth putting to work:
- Make the most of social media — paid ads, posts publicising the offer, and influencer partnerships.
- Join the food delivery apps to widen your customer base and add sales.
- Design eye-catching artwork in colours that match the promotion and your shop's concept.
- Use wording that prompts a purchase, such as limited quantities, first 10 customers only, or valid on the specified dates only.
- Use a POS system to run points and capture member data properly, and to give your coffee shop or café a more professional look.
If you want your café or coffee shop to grow by leaps and bounds, a varied menu of great-tasting drinks and a set of appealing promotions are only part of it. Do not forget to choose a quality coffee shop POS from Qashier — full of features, easy to use, and it turns every part of running your coffee shop into something you manage at your fingertips. Check what is happening in the shop from anywhere, at any time: exactly what operators today need. For more information, contact us on LINE Official: @qashier.th or call 02-544-0267
References:
- 8 coffee shop promotions: how to draw customers into your café. Retrieved on 30 April 2024 from https://bluemochateas.com/promotion-coffee-cafe/
- 6 coffee shop promotion ideas to bring more customers through the door. Retrieved on 30 April 2024 from https://teafac.net/โปรโมชั่นร้านกาแฟ/