Remember a few weeks ago when we examined how the vaccine will only be a jumpstart to those at the front of the #CovidReEntry Segmentation? Well, recent data suggests that the same goes for restaurant re-entry in 2021.
Trended data since April 2020 reveals that the top three segments unlocked large amounts of pent-up demand over the course of the pandemic.
First out the Door: 33%
Out There, Taking it Slow: 14%
Wait and See: 14%
Perhaps even more significantly, the bottom two segments locked pent up demand through the pandemic.
Anxious: -5%
Very Anxious: -23%
What does this mean for the recent upsurge in restaurant sales in January 2021? Even more importantly, what does this mean for restaurant strategy as businesses begin to open their doors in 2021?
Focus on your customers who are dining at your restaurant right now. Lead with joy, reassure with safety.
Consumers who are at the back of the #CovidReEntry Segmentation (Very Anxious/Anxious) are not returning to in-person dining anytime soon. We asked them what businesses could do to make them feel safe to eat in restaurants again. Here's what we heard:
""Nothing because I won't eat in a restaurant again until this pandemic is over."
-57 year old female from the NE
"Until the virus is wiped out or most have been vaccinated, I will not be dining at restaurants."
-44 year old female from the South