The Great British Outdoor Menu Display Tactic Driving Fast Food Sales

The task of enticing new QSR customers, and retaining loyal ones, has certainly become more challenging in today’s ‘instant’ society. As a result, the fast food menu in the UK has had to evolve. Cue the next evolution of the outdoor menu display...

Since bursting onto the QSR scene, digital menu boards have revolutionised the way in which fast food joints present menu items to customers in the UK and across the world. Studies indicate that the installation of digital menu displays can boost overall sales by as much as 8 per cent.

Factor in a 38 per cent sales increase when promoting one specific menu item, plus the 30 per cent of fast food customers who say that a digital menu display influences which product they purchase, and it’s not difficult to see why going digital is the driving force behind increasing fast food sales.

What started as an overhaul of UK fast food menu boards indoors, has since shifted outdoors as QSRs sought to further capitalise on the power of digital for increasing customer footfall and ultimately boosting repeat business.

What is this Outdoor Menu Display Tactic Driving Fast Food Sales?

Outdoor menu displays are simply being repurposed. How? By moving them to the drive thru lane!

Initial rollouts of outdoor digital menu displays tended to be deployed in close proximity to QSR entrances and walkways leading up to the venue. However, the emergence of digital menu boards at the drive thru represents the next evolution of the outdoor menu display.

The tactic of going digital at the drive thru is reaping huge rewards for fast food chains all over the UK, with many reporting a number of key benefits besides the sales boost, including:

• The ease of making menu changes for new items, pricing, promotional offers and dayparting
• The up-sell, cross-sell and pre-sell opportunities available using HD images
• The ability to remotely update menus from one central point for all restaurant locations
• The ability to incorporate entertainment
• The elimination of recurring costs associated with printing and shipping of static menus

Using outdoor digital menu displays at the drive thru works because 60 – 70 per cent of fast food sales already occur at the drive thru window. Therefore, making the leap to a potential 8 per cent sales increase is a very real possibility.

One of the most rewarding benefits of having an outdoor menu display at the drive thru is the opportunity it represents to capitalise on customer buying impulses. With drive thru patrons counting on being able to make a quick decision and receive their order swiftly, you can use drive thru digital signage to direct customers towards purchasing high ticket items.

Aside from the financial ROI that going digital at the drive thru brings, restaurateurs have to consider the bigger picture too – improving the customer experience. A better experience leads to better customer retention and… you guessed it, an increase in sales.

Digital drive thru menu board solutions deliver a unique customer experience by fast-tracking the British queue at the drive thru and improving order accuracy.

Equally, going digital at the drive thru is a direct response to what customers want, with over 50 per cent of respondents to a survey conducted by Forbes saying that a restaurant with digital technology, including in the drive thru lane, would get preference over a QSR that wasn’t as tech-savvy as they are.

Give Your QSR Customers What They Want

Download the meta-research infographic and discover why digital outdoor menu displays at the drive thru are the hottest formula for enticing new and repeat customers...