"None of us, I suspect, enjoys navigating the crowds, and none would relish that when social distancing is so important to controlling the virus," Mr Jenrick wrote, "These changes mean your local shops can open longer, ensuring more pleasant and safer shopping, with less pressure on public transport."
The government is hoping that this will provide a boost for the retail economy as a reaction to the mass closure of retail shops across England. Primark are the first to utilise the 24 hour trading times, with 11 stores currently operating to allow safe shopping. For hospitality, this may seem frustrating. Infact, Kate Nicholls (the chief executive of UK Hospitality) described the relaxing of rules for retail as "arbitrary and unfair", going on to say:
"The government has chosen hospitality as the primary tool for controlling transmission with very limited evidence."
She is calling for more support for hospitality after a study showed that 9 out of 10 businesses within the sector were not capable of working successfully under current restrictions. If the pandemic is preventing you from reopening, then it would be worthwhile to consider adapting to the restrictions and operating as a takeaway. Click here to check out another blog which will tell you all you need about how to set up as a takeaway this Christmas. If your area has been classified with a tier rating that allows you to open your restaurant, bar, pub or cafe then you can use the following tips to engage and attract customers.
Display and Decorations:
To make your venue more attractive to customers this festive season, dig out the christmas decorations and embrace the holiday cheer. Checkout your existing decorations and ask yourself the following:
- Do your decorations look like they came from the 1980s?
- Are they tacky? Does their appearence cheapen your business?
- Do they match your restaurant’s brand identity?
- Do you have enough products to make a statement?
- If yes, then it might be time to bin these decorations and start fresh!
Before you start, make sure to clean before you decorate - this way you can keep ontop of the mess and maintain cleanliness throughout the holiday period.
You should select a theme and make a plan for how you'd like your restauant to look, using online platforms such as Pinterest for inspiration. Like your branding, all your decorations should have a cohesive flow. To create a professional outcome, match the themes and colours of your restaurant to the decorations!
Sounds expensive? You don't have to spend a fortune! Here's some cost effective advice. Utilise natural elements, such as pinecones, branches and evergreens. Bringing nature indoors helps to create a magical environment that looks really effective this time of year. Don't throw out your old boxes! Wrap empty boxes, soup cans, or other spare items with paper to create fake gifts. Pop these under a tree our around your venue to spread the xmas fun! Grab some candles and vases - these are very affordable and will help to create a sophisticated and atmospheric experience for visitors.
To encourage customers to spend, set up gift displays. For hospitality, this can be gift cards, memberships, vouchers and more! Consider advertising a deal within your display, such as the chance to win a free 3 course meal for 2 if you enter a raffle! Peak their interest first with an exciting display, and then with your products and deals.
Santa is getting his Christmas emails out early this year...
Marketing:
Give your website a festive makeover! This lets your customers know that you're in the festive mood, and that you are constantly upgrading your content. A business that stays up-to-date by ensuring to constantly refresh its website with new content ranks higher on Google search engines, and in turn increases the number of customers that will see that page. It may be time consuming, but it's worth putting in the effort to keep your website looking fresh and relevant.
Site speed is important! Make sure your loading times are quick to prevent the modern customer from loosing interest. You can do this by reducing the amount of large files on your web pages. Reduce the quality using converters, or cut the content from your page entirely! It may be a sacrifce you need to make to increase sales...
Create a Christmas campaign that runs across your platforms. A campaign that utilises a multi-channel content strategy (ie. on social media, your website emails, landing pages, etc.) will be more effective as it reaches more people! Be clever with your email marketing. Include exciting visuals that relate to your brand and offer them attractive promotions which will encourage them to spend money with you! You can use platforms such as MailChimp or MailerLite which provide free services to send enticing emails to your customers.
SPARK offers hospitality businesses the tools to create powerful, targeted emails for customers. Our intelligent marketing automation is powered by SPARK's built in CRM system. The CRM database can be used to gather and store key customer information which can be utilised to create custom campaigns for your company. Send personalised emails to your customers this year to encourage them to visit during Christmas!
Offer gift cards:
In December, many of us go into gift-buying panic mode! The perfect gift for a loved one could simply be a giftcard or membership for their favourite restaurant, pub, bar or cafe. SPARK give you the capability to offer these options. NFC cards can be programmed with Membership or gift credit, and vouchers can be created for customers - all custom made and tailored to your business! Learn more by clicking here...
Speed of service:
It's the busiest time of year. People will be rushing about, and they haven't got time for slow service. Make sure your company is organised and structured to improve the efficiency of your venue. SPARK offer a selection of time-saving products which will raise the bar for customer service in your business! We guarantee that your team will be operating faster with our products, allowing you to process more sales this year and enhance the customer experience. Check out more information on our all-in-one epos solution by clicking here.
Reservation and Payment:
When taking your christmas dinner bookings this year there are a few things to consider. It might be worth it to take a deposit from larger groups to avoid disappointment and reduce no shows. SPARK Reservation will help you streamline bookings, maximise efficiency and boost profits! Our Reservation package is competitively priced - completely unlimited and commission free! Check out more by clicking here.
It's the end of the meal and the customers want to pay - but they want to split the bill! The smart functionality on our SPARK handheld devices allows you split the bill with ease. Suit the customer's preference by splitting the bill by person, item or average. Remove the chance of human error by utilising this feature - you'll never have to do the maths again! Learn more by clicking here.
Want to learn more about SPARK and how we can help your business? Book a demo today!
We hope that these tips will come in handy this Christmas! Remember to keep your staff and customers safe with the appropriate covid protection (Click here to learn more about covid safety for businesses).
