WILL SUMMER STILL SIZZLE?

Holiday!

It’s been a long time coming.  The year that felt like three years is drawing to a close. A year that started with bushfires followed by Covid 19. A lot of people had a disrupted summer holiday last year, many businesses did not get their usual seasonal sales lift last summer.  Customers want a holiday. Business need sales. What do Brain & Poulter think Christmas and the summer holidays this year will look like?

Possibly the big cloud with the VERY silver lining is the estimated $60 plus billion dollars Australians spend on overseas travel every year will now stay here. Inevitably a fair proportion of this money will be redirected to internal Australian domestic spend this coming Xmas and holiday period. Some of this will go towards an ultra-connected Christmas with family and friends at the heart of the festive celebrations.

Christmas Cheer

We know that well constructed catering or easy to assemble bundled food & drink solutions have worked well this year in satisfying customers and generating sales. A Christmas offer which focus on entertaining or dining solutions over the festive period can similarly work well. We also know that packing your venue isn’t an option this year. So, delivering a taste of Xmas this year is key. How to deliver this well is an area retailers should focus on.

Packages which combine food and drink to satisfy different social occasions work well. For example, champagne and nibblies for 4 on Xmas Eve, Christmas Seafood Lunch for 6,  Traditional Christmas Diner for 6, with matching wines by course, Boxing Day picnics, Cheese & Wine platters etc etc.

All in on Al Fresco

Holiday areas in all states will benefit from internal travel significantly. From what has been experienced this year, as soon as restrictions across all states are lifted, the booking out of holiday accommodation quickly follows from Margaret River in WA to the NSW South Coast. No surprise to learn then that caravan sales are also through the sunroof! For the foreseeable future the Golden Age of road travel appears to be upon us (possibly to the disappointment of Grey Nomads!).

Keeping Happy Campers Happy

Firstly, there will be peak demand that hasn’t been seen for quite a while. Managing seasonal peaks is difficult at the best of times, executing this and remaining CoVid compliant will need attention to detail.

Many travellers will likely spend up on experiences, convenience and pleasure. So this is a good opportunity for retailers to revisit their menu to ensure that the customer can experience well-constructed offers in a variety of formats. lf you have limited seating capacity, then it is essential to create picnic packs, hampers and al fresco dining solutions. Don’t forget the day trippers!

Remember some people may want to stay at home or can’t get a booking in some places. As a result even within the cities and suburbs, the opportunity to pick up sales on staycation dining experiences will exist.

Marketing will be key. The majority of travellers will find you on their phones. Maximise your google reach and presence so holiday visitors can easily find you. Make sure your online presence is cohesive. Have clear offers tailored to travellers and holiday makers. Beef up and boost your social media messaging to stay relevant and top of mind.