Why QSR’s are switching to Sumo digital displays
The brand’s custom digital displays can clearly communicate offers while keeping store info overload in check.
As one of the leading digital display providers to top Australian retail brands, Sumo Visual Group knows first-hand the communication dilemma faced by QSR’s.
“There is an increasing amount of information that stores need to display for either regulatory or consumer-driven reasons,” said Dominic Feik, General Manager, Digital of Sumo Visual Group. This includes everything from the nutritional value of a meal to the ingredients of a new offering.
Which is why creative approaches to point of sale design are needed without drowning customers in information, said Mr. Feik. “Particularly digital can be useful here because of its flexibility and interactivity.”
The Digital Evolution
Once QSR’s realize that traditional displays are no longer effective for them, this is when Sumo steps in to help each brand find the right solution for their needs. Solutions are no longer limited to digital menu boards, said Mr. Feik, although that remains to be a popular choice for stores.
“The growing use of digital displays in QSR is an obvious trend, but not just for menu boards - there is increasing interest in other forms of digital such as smaller counter top displays, and promotional poster style displays – these provide great flexibility and effectiveness in communicating offers and may deliver greater return on investment than digital menus,” he said.
“Use of external or external-facing digital displays such as large format LED displays is also beginning to generate interest and I expect we’ll see a lot of these over the next 2 years,” he added.
Without naming specific brands since “clients are typically quite protective of their hard data,” Mr. Feik said Sumo’s digital displays has helped a number of stores break sales records and other performance metrics. One store said “The breakfast on it [a promotional screen] has sold through the roof since it’s been on” while another shared that “We’ve entered the top 10 stores for the loyalty program” using one of Sumo’s communication solutions.
Mr. Feik said that despite the growing evidence that digital display solutions are worth the investment, QSR’s mostly begin conservatively with a small-scale trial. But eventually, as they discover the positives of going digital far outweigh the negatives, they will commit to a larger roll-out.
One QSR chain shared that “We’ve done the analysis, and we wouldn’t be rolling it out if didn’t make sense,” while another beamed that “All the reaction from the trade has been positive.”
Sumo customers number a wide range of QSR’s, from multinational franchises with thousands of outlets worldwide to homegrown Australian brands, as well as product manufacturers such as beverage makers and pastry producers that also require presence in food service environments.
“This mix of customers enables us to understand different perspectives, and come up with solutions that generate value for both parties,” said Mr. Feik.
The Sumo Difference
At the core of Sumo’s service philosophy is the idea that there is no “typical” customer.
“Sumo understands that different customers have different needs – the ‘typical’ customer wanting a ‘typical’ solution doesn’t exist,” said Mr. Feik.
Guided by this core belief, Sumo strives to provide highly customised visual solutions that result in what Mr. Feik describes as a “genuinely differentiated in-store experience.”
The scale of the QSR brand, whether big or small, poses little challenge for Sumo, who is known for delivering “high volume, fit-for-purpose, cost-effective solutions” for national businesses.
“We have the QSR and retail experience, engineering capability, and supply chain to develop customised products – for instance digital menu boards or counter top displays – to a price and quality point for mass roll-outs. As an example, we have delivered over 2000 digital counter top displays to one client by developing product with a specific combination of functionality, appearance, and price point,” said Mr. Feik.
