by Abby Henson | 3 Jul, 2018 | Sales Figures
June was a superb month for sales for S4Labour customers, our latest analysis has found.
Research into over 100 organisations across all industry sectors revealed that average like for like revenues were up 5.4%. Recent fine weather and the start of the World Cup are likely factors in the increase, with drink sales 6.7% and food sales 3.3% up on average. Wet-led operators were the biggest winners, enjoying on average a 5.9% rise, while food-focused venues saw a 4.9% increase.
This follows on from strong May, which also saw revenues over 5% above 2017 levels. Many in hospitality will be predicting the good news to continue into July – CO2 shortage notwithstanding – as the recent heatwave is set to continue well into the month, while the latter stages of the World Cup and beginning of the school holidays will also boost footfall and sales.
Understaffing when sales are good can significantly damage your bottom line, and your reputation. S4Labour can help you rectify this, maximising profits and customer satisfaction. Call 01295 267400 or book a demo today.
by Abby Henson | 21 Jun, 2018 | Blog, Press & News
S4Labour is equally effective across all styles of hospitality business.
We recently rolled out S4Labour into BEAR, a fresh hybrid concept where chic cafe meets lively bar with a side order of delicious home-cooked food. BEAR, who recently opened their third venue, have grand plans for expansion, and will use S4Labour to provide the foundations for better labour management on which a thriving large business can be built.
BEAR’s decision to implement S4Labour was recently documented in Coffee Business World, the leading publication for the coffee and tea industry. Click here to read the full story.
by Abby Henson | 6 Jun, 2018 | Blog, Press & News
Nothing captures the imagination of the British public quite like the World Cup. The month-long festival of football – inevitably bringing disappointment in England and delight for fans in other parts of the UK – never fails to create a sustained party atmosphere.
The potential for hospitality operators to capitalise is huge, especially those in the pub sector, and many will anticipate weeks of bumper sales. Here are our top tips for how to make the most of the opportunity after it all kicks off on June 14th.
Staff for Quick Service
Nobody enjoys long waits for service, but if you are showing the big games, attending to customers quickly is more important than ever. It can be integral to keeping the festive mood going. Fast service is extremely difficult if you are understaffed, so it’s crucial to forecast sales accurately and deploy enough staff to meet them without becoming overstretched. Even if you don’t typically offer table service it can be a good idea to task extra staff with serving drinks straight to tables, which will significantly reduce wait times at the bar.
Consider Kick Off Times
Unlike some past World Cups, which have meant late night or early morning viewing for British fans, this time round the timings fall very favourably. Most matches, including all three of England’s group stage games, kick off in the late afternoon or early evening – ideal for pubs. Evenings will no doubt be at the forefront of your attention, but the smart operator will identify other opportunities too. If your license permits it, opening early to show the France v Australia game (11:00 kick off) on the tournament’s first Saturday could be a shrewd move, as crowds are likely to stay put for the whole day’s action.
Know Your Audience
Coming as it does just once every four years, the World Cup is a special event, and brings with it an atypical audience. Research into customers at venues showing the last major international football event, Euro 2016, found that pub-goers in the 18-24 age bracket were 36% more likely to visit to watch international rather than domestic fixtures. Women composed 24% of the total clientele during these matches, an increase of a third on club games. Savvy operators will craft a balanced offer that appeals to these groups as well as a more traditional football-watching demographic.
It’s Not Just About England
Every operator showing the action is near-enough guaranteed three money-spinning days for each of England’s group games, and hopefully several knock-out fixtures beyond that, but the opportunities to maximise sales don’t end there. There are now over eight million foreign-born people in the UK, and depending on your location, matches involving the likes of Poland, Germany, and Australia may attract significant interest. And with more international players representing English clubs that ever before, games showcasing Premier League stars are likely to be well supported; you can be sure that Merseyside pubs will be packed out when Mohamed Salah’s Egypt are in action. It’s a great idea to think ahead to which fixtures will appeal to the population in your area and ensure you advertise heavily and staff appropriately for these.
S4Labour helps you understand the different staffing requirements that special events bring, leading to reduced costs, increased sales, and improved service.
by Abby Henson | 4 Jun, 2018 | Blog, Press & News
May was an excellent month for the UK hospitality industry with like for like sales across the industry up 5% on 2017 levels, our latest research has found.
Analysis of over 100 organisations using our S4Labour scheduling and HR software revealed that strong drink sales – likely bolstered by fine weather and the Royal Wedding effect – were the primary factor in the overall good performance.
Food-led venues enjoyed an 8.5% increase in drink trade, while wet-focused sites were up 7.7% on average.
Operators also saw a rise in food revenues – albeit a small one – with an overall 0.1% increase recorded across all businesses surveyed and dry-led sites faring slightly better in this regard.
June sees the start of the World Cup and many in hospitality will be anticipating a continuation of May’s good results for the industry (even if not for the England team).
By identifying and correcting times of sub-optimal staffing, S4Labour helps its clients increase sales and improve service, as well as reduce labour costs. Why not book a demo today?
by Abby Henson | 18 Apr, 2018 | Blog, Press & News
After a winter that seemed to last a lifetime, with Artic conditions punishing hospitality operators well into March, spring is finally here. Britain is basking in warm, sunny weather and the fine days are set to last into the weekend, giving the industry a golden chance to make proverbial hay.
But simply throwing open the doors and waiting for the customers to come may not be enough. Competition amongst operators to attract the crowds can be fierce. Here are our top tips to get ahead of the rest through effective labour planning and deployment.
Understand the impact on your site
Every venue is different, and the fine weather will affect them differently. For those lucky enough to have large outside areas, bumper sales are a near-certainty. Smaller, more enclosed sites, especially in urban areas, may in fact lose out. Take some time to consider your last year’s sales in the context of the weather at the time. This will give you the best guide on what to expect and allow you to plan and execute profitable days of trading, however the sun impacts your site. Multi-site companies may benefit from resisting a one-size-fits-all approach, tailoring a plan to each site specifically rather than the business as a whole.
Forecast proactively
Optimised labour deployment, which leads to higher profits, starts with accurate forecasting. As well as considering historic data to make an accurate initial prediction, it’s a good idea to take a proactive approach. Keep a close eye on the weather forecast – we all know how quickly they can change – and consider each day’s trading when looking ahead to the next. If Thursday was busier than first expected, it’s likely Friday will be too. Don’t be afraid to update your sales forecast as the week progresses and make scheduling decisions accordingly.
S4Labour is the perfect tool for better forecasting. With built-in Met Office weather forecasts geolocated by site and clear, intuitive reporting on historic sales and weather, it allows managers to predict trade levels more accurately than ever before.
Reconsider shift lengths and patterns
It’s likely that you have regular patterns in shift lengths and start and finish times. These may have worked well to reflect sales through the winter months but can be far less optimal when the sun shines. If your site is typically busy at lunch time and again later in the evening, it makes sense to keep staffing minimal between 3 and 6pm. But on a sunny day this may miss out on groups tempted by an after-work drink, leaving you understaffed and resulting in poor service and missed sales opportunities. Time spent thinking closely about shift lengths, start and end times, and split shift timings is unlikely to be wasted.
Create a culture of flexibility
As well as encouraging flexibility in shift lengths and timings, it’s always a good idea to promote a culture of general flexibility in your business. Explain to staff that shift timings may not always be set in stone and reward them appropriately when they go the extra mile. Now is also a great time to think of the composition of your team in terms of full and part time staff in anticipation of the busy summer season. Full time staff bring consistency of service, but also cost the business more to employ. A team built around a lower number of full time members and more part time employees may bring the flexibility needed to run an effective business through the fickle British summer while staying within a tight labour budget.
Plan for contingencies
In life nothing is certain, and it’s a foolish man who banks on the British weather staying fine. It’s a good idea to make sure you have contingency plans in place for when the weather lets you down. Be prepared to end shifts early when disappointing weather reduces sales, and communicate with staff to make them aware of this possibility. As a useful alternative to trimming hours, it can be sensible to redeploy hours away from service and into the ancillary tasks needed to keep the site functioning; essential cleaning, chopping fruit, and emptying bins are all important tasks that it’s easy to neglect when sales are high.
Following our advice will put you well on your way to excellent labour management through this fine spell and beyond. For optimum insight and control on labour, bringing invaluable benefits in cost-saving, driving sales and service, and saving time, S4Labour is the ideal platform. Why not request a demo today?
by Abby Henson | 11 Apr, 2018 | Blog, Press & News
S4Labour is leading workforce management software for the hospitality industry.
Since 2011, its innovative visual analysis of hourly sales data, taken direct from EPoS integrations, has allowed operators to optimise staff deployment, resulting in lower costs and increased sales. The feature-rich package also significantly reduces administrative time for its users. The fully-integrated HR module, covering everything from digital contracts to employee appraisals, allows managers to spend less time in the office and more leading their teams in delivering great experiences to customers.
Increasingly, hospitality firms are realising the huge value S4Labour brings to their businesses. This has seen the milestone of 1,000 active sites recently reached, driven by impressive 60% sales growth in 2017.
Already in 2018, several first-rate operators with superb reputations have rolled out with S4Labour, joining the ranks of award-winning firms using the software. These include Revolution Bars, who manage a nationwide estate of 73 premium late-night venues, and Oakman Inns, a growing collection of 25 high-end pub-restaurants across the South East and South Midlands. Completing a trio of auspicious new clients is Butcombe Brewery, who have implemented S4Labour into their 24-strong West Country managed pub estate, which they plan to double in size in coming years.
We are delighted to welcome these new operators to S4Labour, and eagerly anticipate sharing in their future successes.
Want to join these fantastic companies in controlling labour spend and driving increased sales? Contact us to book an S4Labour demonstration today.
