Top 5 Ways to Boost Fountain Sales (Taken From the Big Guys)
By Renee Pas
Here’s the recipe you’ve been craving:
With cold-dispensed beverage sales peaking in July and August, we scrutinized what makes fountain thrive at chains that set the standard: Sheetz, Wawa, 7-Eleven, and Thorntons. Increase your fountain sales with these sure-fire strategies from the pacesetters:
1. Refresh your line-up. More non-carbonated options are popping up at the fountain as consumers continue to gravitate toward healthier beverages. Multiple flavors of lemonade (one sugar-free) and iced tea (a green and flavored variety) are common among the c-store fountain leaders.
2. Mix it up. One appeal of fountain vs. packaged beverages is the novelty of creating a unique fountain concoction by combining flavors. 7-Eleven’s mantra is that fountain flavors are akin to singles -- “they like to mingle.
3. Add flavor shots. The chain leaders all offer flavor shots, with lemon, cherry, and vanilla as the core three choices. Flavor shots build on the idea of drink customization, where fountain becomes a laboratory. Wawa has also rolled out Coca-Cola’s Freestyle touch-screen soda fountain, extending flavor combinations to 100 choices.
4. Chew on this. Softer ice cubes, known as “nugget” or “chewy ice” have grown in popularity. Thornton’s ice has such a strong following the chain even sells its nugget ice by the cup--a 16 oz. cup of ice only. NACS data shows retailers overall are more focused on ice as consumers enjoy chewing on the ice after the liquid is gone.
5. Strike a deal. Promotions are a mainstay among fountain front-runners. From Sheetz offering a 99 cent any-size fountain drink to free fountain drinks at Thorntons for Chicago and Tampa Bay fans during hockey’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, the leaders consistently create focus on fountain.
Mixing flavors and keeping fountain offerings fresh are two strategies that C-Buying member Happy Singh, owner of Uni Mart in Coraopolis, Pa., relies on with his fountain program.
While not committed to making any major fountain changes at the moment, Singh said he looks forward to the boost in sales that comes in summer months. “It naturally peaks,” he said.
Fountain’s peak potential could be even greater since McDonald’s has increased its focus on fountain. Once viewed as an ancillary item to its meal offer, McDonald’s has now deemed fountain a destination driver, said c-store consultant Steve Montgomery, president of b2b Solutions in Lake Forest, Ill.
While certainly competition for c-stores, Montgomery pointed out that it also enhances consumers’ view of fountain as a mainstay drink. Add to that the fact that fountain drink sales earn c-stores a greater margin than packaged beverages (54% per store per month, compared to 39%, according to NACS) and it becomes clear why fountain is worth the focus.