Restaurant Trade Area Research

The new price of `free’ continues within the fast food category - this week - I’m aware of a dayparted Sonic free Root Beer Float and a free donut at Dunkin Donuts (with purchase) and I’m pretty sure I saw a coupon for an Arby’s `weekparted’ free Kids meal (on weekends with purchase). To be honest, I think there was at least one more.

Well, at least the new FREE involves some targeting. Targeting families to get into a weekend Arby’s visit - good idea. Targeting the sweet tooth by Sonic in the evening (this promo was after 8PM) - creating that `float, at night, in the summer idea - and also making this FREE promotion FREE - good idea. Dunkin Donuts getting some free trial by coffee users - good idea.

Also newsworthy on the `re-pricing’ of fast food restaurant visits is McDonald’s (at least locally) going 1.00 for all sizes of any soft drink (a la carte) (until Sept.30th) - NOT just the sweet tea. Smart - something I suggested all chains should consider in prior posts about how to deal with the `new’ normal in restaurant usage.

And, that new normal continues to make it a rough go as these links indicate:

Fast-Food Chains In For Job-Loss Pain - http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200906031622DOWJONESDJONLINE000812_FORTUNE5.htm

Same store sale figures - Not good news for some - down as much as 8% for Arby’s - Qdoba’s down;  BK, Wendy’s, Jack In The Box slightly up. http://www.mediabuyerplanner.com/entry/41524/burger-king-promotes-value/

http://www.rttnews.com/Content/BreakingNews.aspx?Node=B1&Id=947907%20&Category=Breaking%20News

Don’t leave before visiting my Squidoo site - where I explain some of the services I offer www.squidoo.com/tradeareasureys - thanks.

Recently, I conducted the MarketView in an eastern seaboard market at all the units of a particular ADI and all owned by one owner. The MarketView is my name for a type of research design that digs into the fundamentals of any market. All kinds of interesting and useful information comes from doing real marketing research at your stores.

An example of this is shown below:

Store One                                                 Store Two

820,000               2006 Sales                             790,000

13%        Uses This FF Brand Most               24%

20%       Uses This FF At Least 1 Week       42%

161K       Annual Sales To 1+ Week User    331K

20K        Total Repeat Customer Base*        13K    *customer base formula

Smart marketing can address each of these stores specific marketing needs. Only by having real customer based information allows for smart spending of those precious marketing dollars. Make sure to visit my Squidoo page that explains more about the MarketView at www.squidoo.com/tradeareasurveys.

Today’s Restaurant Links

`Former Bojangles Exec’s Now Qdoba Men’

http://www.chainleader.com/article/CA6607112.html?industryid=47555

`Fast Food Shops To Be Banned Near Schools In UK’

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1079655/Fast-food-shops-banned-near-schools.html 

`IS Fast Food Poised For A Fast Fall?’

http://www.forbes.com/markets/2008/10/22/mcdonalds-earnings-closer-markets-equity-cx_mp_1022markets44.html

Thanks for stopping by today — much more is below too. Bookmark this site and return for more updates. If you have some comments we’d love to hear them.