To display or not to display... that is the question!

Todays blog is focusing on our friends in the hospitality industry. Do you display pricing on your counter food?

We recently conducted a social experiment to see if displaying the price on your counter food actually affected how much people bought.

Last week I found myself in a little coffee shop on the GC searching for my afternoon sweet fix. After scanning the counter I found myself in a battle with a scone and a mouth watering gourmet carrot cake (I love carrot cake!) But guess what I walked away with? The scone! I discovered (whilst devouring my scone and tea) that I just based my purchase on price and not on what I actually wanted.

After this mind blowing moment, I wondered if other customers were basing their decision on the same principles but just not realising it; after all, a lot of our buying decisions ARE based on subconscious thoughts and emotions. So I took to the streets and approached a cafe that we had recently done branding for and asked if I could experiment a little with their food displays. As the cafe in question sells solely from displays and not from a menu, this little experiment had the ability to increase their daily sales. You would not believe the results!

Only selling gourmet food, their prices were above that of any bakery or small local cafe. After I removed the pricing from all food items, they started to see a 20% growth in sales!! This was able to happen because I took the price out of the decision making. It was based on what looked good rather than how much it was. So when the customers got to the counter to pay, the decision was already made. After you have pictured yourself devouring that tasty goodness, how can you say no?

Do you display pricing with your food? Trial this little experiment for a few weeks and track your results, see if this can have an impact on your sales and in turn the success of your business.

I would love to hear how you go. Send your experience through to brand@amandalowry.com.au and tell us if you have noticed a change in your sales.