How to boost sales in your convenience store

How to boost sales in your convenience store

The convenience store market is growing at an alarming rate “ it is expected to increase by 17% (to £44billion!) over the next five years. With so much competition, how can you make sure you stand out from the crowd and keep your customers happy?

Receiving and returning parcels

More and more convenience stores are installing amazon lockers into their shops “ self service locker where customers can collect or return Amazon parcels. With so many people tired of waiting around at home for a package to arrive “ being able to collect their parcel at any time from their local corner shop is very useful. And if that doesn’t work for you “ there are many other parcel return schemes, that give locals the ease of being able to drop off a parcel with you to be returned. So much better than having to travel into the town centre to the post office!
And what’s the benefit for you? It brings more people into your store! They might just buy something from you whilst they are there, and it’s an opportunity for you and your friendly staff to make a good impression.

Meal deals

Meal deals are hugely popular during the lunchtime trade. If you’re nearby to offices or shops “ you’ll be able to draw in their staff looking to grab a meal on the go with a great meal deal. Most want to get a drink, sandwich and a snack for a round price. Here’s a tip: almost half of sandwiches sold in the UK were baguettes. Baguettes are a firm favourite “ and there’s no sign of that changing!

Coffee machines

High quality coffee machines are springing up in convenience stores up and down the country. No, they aren’t exactly artisan “ but they produce a good latte that could rival most chain coffee shops. Coffee is big in the UK now “ there’s no reason why you can’t jump on that bandwagon. And hot drinks aren’t just for the winter “ you can boost your summer caffeine offering with our frappino iced coffees.

24 hour/late service

One of the reasons Tesco Metros are managing to push independent convenience stores out of the market is because of their opening hours. Many are open as late as 11pm “ even on Sundays! Nothing makes a convenience store more convenient than being able to pop in at any time, day or night, and grab essentials.

Offer something the supermarkets can’t

Supermarket convenience chains have a lot to offer “ and it can be hard for independent stores to compete. But all is not lost! The beauty of being independent is you can offer something that the supermarkets can’t. You can stock produce your customers can’t find anywhere else, instead of stocking the same chain brands you can find in any supermarket. Here at Snowshock, we support independent convenience stores with our fantastic slushes “ and we’re always releasing new products, keeping you ahead of the competition!

Exciting food alternatives

The rise of the health food industry and veganism has opened up a whole new opportunity for convenience stores. You’ll be surprised to see how well these items will sell “ considering not long ago you would only see them in specialist shops. The demand for vegetarian and vegan ready meals and snacks has soared 40% in the last year “ with more and more people becoming vegetarians, vegans and flexitarians (people who go for a vegetarian or vegan option a couple of times a week).

Healthy grab and go breakfasts are also a new addition to the supermarket shelves – portable cereal sales have risen 6% year on year. Healthy but convenient breakfasts are perfect for busy office workers who want to stay in shape and eat their morning meal on the go.

We hope our tips to succeed in the busy convenience store market have inspired you! We work with convenience stores up and down the country, who see huge profits from our Snowshock slush! We support you by giving you free stock with every new machine “ so you can make a profit as soon as possible. Check out our offering or get in touch to find out more.