Retailing and hospitality are very closely related. They share similar operational challenges such as low profit margins, high staff turnover, unpredictable demand patterns and long opening hours. And historically, they have both been dependent on costly real estate to entice and serve their customers.

Having evolved as key pillars of the service sector these siblings share many similarities, but in one crucial area retailers have harnessed change in a way that has left many hospitality operators looking like the proverbial ostrich, with its head buried in the sand. Caterers and retail catering have failed to recognise the importance of offering their customers an online platform to engage and trade with them.

Ever since retailing first recognised the sanity in the “Bricks and Clicks” model, the sector has accelerated its deployment of the digital platform with astonishing success. It is a clear lesson in how an industry has successfully adapted the way it operates, to capitalise on the parallel progression of technology advancement and consumer adoption of it. At the heart of this revolution is online ordering, which is growing inexorably.

Gone are the days when bricks and clicks simply meant ordering online gave retailers an additional sales channel for their products and services. Nowadays, retailers are using the rich data generated by customers and their buying behaviour to engage with their customers, drive customer loyalty and provide targeted, profitable marketing campaigns. In recent days the growth in online ordering has been exemplified by two major UK brands: Argos has said that almost half of all its sales are now generated online, but more importantly, Ocado has declared that over half (55%) of its orders are now transacted on mobile devices.

So, what are the lessons for the catering and hospitality sector?

There are numerous ways caterers and retail catering operators can benefit from online ordering, and it’s not the preserve of quick service restaurants and takeaways. Although their pioneering actions have helped define and refine the technology requirements, they have ignored some of the key benefits of online ordering – customer insights and their marketing potential. Contract caterers, foodservice operators, stadium and event venue caterers, along with high street catering retailers such as sandwich shops and cafes can all benefit from online ordering. Any operation that contends with customer queues at peak service times will find that online pre-ordering brings many advantages.

1. Online ordering opens up a whole new sales channel for catering operators. Restaurateurs with no previous experience of takeaway or delivery services can now increase their capacity without extending their premises.
2. As a cloud-based internet service, online ordering is available 24 hours a day so customers can access it whenever and wherever they want. They can also use mobile devices as well as laptops and PC’s to place their orders.
3. Data generated by customers’ profiles and their purchasing history provides invaluable information for operators (a) to help plan and manage their own production volumes and staffing levels, and (b) to create relevant and highly targeted outbound marketing campaigns.

Preoday’s online ordering platform has the built-in versatility and flexibility which means it can be configured for any style or size of catering operation. We understand the demands of the different sectors of the industry because we have worked with a broad range of businesses, ranging from restaurants to takeaways, stadium caterers to staff restaurants as well as theatre bars and event venues. Our market leading experience within the hospitality sector means that the future has never been so close at hand.

For more information about how we can help your business, contact us on hello@preoday.com

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Retailing and hospitality are very closely related. They share similar operational challenges such as low profit margins, high staff turnover, unpredictable demand patterns and long opening hours. And historically, they have both been dependent on costly real estate to entice and serve their customers.

Having evolved as key pillars of the service sector these siblings share many similarities, but in one crucial area retailers have harnessed change in a way that has left many hospitality operators looking like the proverbial ostrich, with its head buried in the sand. Caterers and retail catering have failed to recognise the importance of offering their customers an online platform to engage and trade with them.

Ever since retailing first recognised the sanity in the “Bricks and Clicks” model, the sector has accelerated its deployment of the digital platform with astonishing success. It is a clear lesson in how an industry has successfully adapted the way it operates, to capitalise on the parallel progression of technology advancement and consumer adoption of it. At the heart of this revolution is online ordering, which is growing inexorably.

Gone are the days when bricks and clicks simply meant ordering online gave retailers an additional sales channel for their products and services. Nowadays, retailers are using the rich data generated by customers and their buying behaviour to engage with their customers, drive customer loyalty and provide targeted, profitable marketing campaigns. In recent days the growth in online ordering has been exemplified by two major UK brands: Argos has said that almost half of all its sales are now generated online, but more importantly, Ocado has declared that over half (55%) of its orders are now transacted on mobile devices.

So, what are the lessons for the catering and hospitality sector?

There are numerous ways caterers and retail catering operators can benefit from online ordering, and it’s not the preserve of quick service restaurants and takeaways. Although their pioneering actions have helped define and refine the technology requirements, they have ignored some of the key benefits of online ordering – customer insights and their marketing potential. Contract caterers, foodservice operators, stadium and event venue caterers, along with high street catering retailers such as sandwich shops and cafes can all benefit from online ordering. Any operation that contends with customer queues at peak service times will find that online pre-ordering brings many advantages.

• Online ordering opens up a whole new sales channel for catering operators. Restaurateurs with no previous experience of takeaway or delivery services can now increase their capacity without extending their premises.
• As a cloud-based internet service, online ordering is available 24 hours a day so customers can access it whenever and wherever they want. They can also use mobile devices as well as laptops and PC’s to place their orders.
• Data generated by customers’ profiles and their purchasing history provides invaluable information for operators (a) to help plan and manage their own production volumes and staffing levels, and (b) to create relevant and highly targeted outbound marketing campaigns.

Preoday’s online ordering platform has the built-in versatility and flexibility which means it can be configured for any style or size of catering operation. We understand the demands of the different sectors of the industry because we have worked with a broad range of businesses, ranging from restaurants to takeaways, stadium caterers to staff restaurants as well as theatre bars and event venues. Our market leading experience within the hospitality sector means that the future has never been so close at hand.

For more information about how we can help your business, contact Dominic Hall at dominic.hall@preoday.com

Retailing and hospitality are very closely related. They share similar operational challenges such as low profit margins, high staff turnover, unpredictable demand patterns and long opening hours. And historically, they have both been dependent on costly real estate to entice and serve their customers.

Having evolved as key pillars of the service sector these siblings share many similarities, but in one crucial area retailers have harnessed change in a way that has left many hospitality operators looking like the proverbial ostrich, with its head buried in the sand. Caterers and retail catering have failed to recognise the importance of offering their customers an online platform to engage and trade with them.

Ever since retailing first recognised the sanity in the “Bricks and Clicks” model, the sector has accelerated its deployment of the digital platform with astonishing success. It is a clear lesson in how an industry has successfully adapted the way it operates, to capitalise on the parallel progression of technology advancement and consumer adoption of it. At the heart of this revolution is online ordering, which is growing inexorably.

Gone are the days when bricks and clicks simply meant ordering online gave retailers an additional sales channel for their products and services. Nowadays, retailers are using the rich data generated by customers and their buying behaviour to engage with their customers, drive customer loyalty and provide targeted, profitable marketing campaigns. In recent days the growth in online ordering has been exemplified by two major UK brands: Argos has said that almost half of all its sales are now generated online, but more importantly, Ocado has declared that over half (55%) of its orders are now transacted on mobile devices.

So, what are the lessons for the catering and hospitality sector?

There are numerous ways caterers and retail catering operators can benefit from online ordering, and it’s not the preserve of quick service restaurants and takeaways. Although their pioneering actions have helped define and refine the technology requirements, they have ignored some of the key benefits of online ordering – customer insights and their marketing potential. Contract caterers, foodservice operators, stadium and event venue caterers, along with high street catering retailers such as sandwich shops and cafes can all benefit from online ordering. Any operation that contends with customer queues at peak service times will find that online pre-ordering brings many advantages.

• Online ordering opens up a whole new sales channel for catering operators. Restaurateurs with no previous experience of takeaway or delivery services can now increase their capacity without extending their premises.
• As a cloud-based internet service, online ordering is available 24 hours a day so customers can access it whenever and wherever they want. They can also use mobile devices as well as laptops and PC’s to place their orders.
• Data generated by customers’ profiles and their purchasing history provides invaluable information for operators (a) to help plan and manage their own production volumes and staffing levels, and (b) to create relevant and highly targeted outbound marketing campaigns.

Preoday’s online ordering platform has the built-in versatility and flexibility which means it can be configured for any style or size of catering operation. We understand the demands of the different sectors of the industry because we have worked with a broad range of businesses, ranging from restaurants to takeaways, stadium caterers to staff restaurants as well as theatre bars and event venues. Our market leading experience within the hospitality sector means that the future has never been so close at hand.

For more information about how we can help your business, contact Dominic Hall at dominic.hall@preoday.com

Retailing and hospitality are very closely related. They share similar operational challenges such as low profit margins, high staff turnover, unpredictable demand patterns and long opening hours. And historically, they have both been dependent on costly real estate to entice and serve their customers.

Having evolved as key pillars of the service sector these siblings share many similarities, but in one crucial area retailers have harnessed change in a way that has left many hospitality operators looking like the proverbial ostrich, with its head buried in the sand. Caterers and retail catering have failed to recognise the importance of offering their customers an online platform to engage and trade with them.

Ever since retailing first recognised the sanity in the “Bricks and Clicks” model, the sector has accelerated its deployment of the digital platform with astonishing success. It is a clear lesson in how an industry has successfully adapted the way it operates, to capitalise on the parallel progression of technology advancement and consumer adoption of it. At the heart of this revolution is online ordering, which is growing inexorably.

Gone are the days when bricks and clicks simply meant ordering online gave retailers an additional sales channel for their products and services. Nowadays, retailers are using the rich data generated by customers and their buying behaviour to engage with their customers, drive customer loyalty and provide targeted, profitable marketing campaigns. In recent days the growth in online ordering has been exemplified by two major UK brands: Argos has said that almost half of all its sales are now generated online, but more importantly, Ocado has declared that over half (55%) of its orders are now transacted on mobile devices.

So, what are the lessons for the catering and hospitality sector?

There are numerous ways caterers and retail catering operators can benefit from online ordering, and it’s not the preserve of quick service restaurants and takeaways. Although their pioneering actions have helped define and refine the technology requirements, they have ignored some of the key benefits of online ordering – customer insights and their marketing potential. Contract caterers, foodservice operators, stadium and event venue caterers, along with high street catering retailers such as sandwich shops and cafes can all benefit from online ordering. Any operation that contends with customer queues at peak service times will find that online pre-ordering brings many advantages.

• Online ordering opens up a whole new sales channel for catering operators. Restaurateurs with no previous experience of takeaway or delivery services can now increase their capacity without extending their premises.
• As a cloud-based internet service, online ordering is available 24 hours a day so customers can access it whenever and wherever they want. They can also use mobile devices as well as laptops and PC’s to place their orders.
• Data generated by customers’ profiles and their purchasing history provides invaluable information for operators (a) to help plan and manage their own production volumes and staffing levels, and (b) to create relevant and highly targeted outbound marketing campaigns.

Preoday’s online ordering platform has the built-in versatility and flexibility which means it can be configured for any style or size of catering operation. We understand the demands of the different sectors of the industry because we have worked with a broad range of businesses, ranging from restaurants to takeaways, stadium caterers to staff restaurants as well as theatre bars and event venues. Our market leading experience within the hospitality sector means that the future has never been so close at hand.

For more information about how we can help your business, contact Dominic Hall at dominic.hall@preoday.com