Digital screens will successfully tempt customers to stay on after games during major football tournaments such as Euro 2016
71% of Euro 2016 football fans will be tempted to stay on in bars, pubs and restaurants after watching a game if discounts on meals and drinks are shown on digital screens, a survey by Vista Retail Support has found.
The poll explored consumer attitudes to Euro 2016, the UEFA European Football Championship, which will run from June 10 to July 10 in France, featuring a total of 24 teams.
It revealed that after enjoying the match atmosphere, customers will stay on if they are quickly given an incentive. However, 49% said the offers and deals on drinks and meals displayed on screens need to be easy to understand in order to be taken up.
“Events like football tournaments, although potentially lucrative, can be disruptive with huge peaks in demand followed by abrupt troughs,” said James Pepper, technical services director, Vista Retail Support.
“Our survey shows that hospitality operators who have invested in digital signage and are able to display the right discounts in an eye-catching way will find their till keeps on ringing long after the final whistle.”
The survey showed that only 5% of customers always move on or go home after watching a match in a pub or restaurant.
In addition, 76% of consumers said once they are inside a venue and are deciding what to order before, during or after a match, they will take up a good discount on meals or drinks that they see on digital signage, with 32% saying they would do so to save time.
42% of respondents said an attractive offer on meals and drinks displayed on digital signage would persuade them and their friends to enter a bar or restaurant to watch the football. Nearly one in five (19%) said it would definitely persuade them to go in, because they always look for the cheapest deals.
“In the digital age, there is more to promotions and footfall in hospitality than chalking up the specials on a board,” added Pepper. “You need to connect with customers quickly and clearly, which is why operators in the hospitality sector need to look very seriously at digital signage solutions in order to attract and keep customers and avoid the problems of stop-start demand.”
www.vistasupport.com