Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/68592
become a valuable platform for merchants. Foursquare holds a detailed database of area businesses, based on the user's loca- tion, including restaurants, bars and spe- cialty stores. At its most basic, members "check in" to a specific location using their smartphone, announcing their destina- tion. Friends can locate one another via the Foursquare app, and through Facebook and Twitter if accounts are linked. On check-in, a consumer has the opportunity to see if a merchant offers specials, gain notoriety as the "mayor" (whoever checks into an estab- lishment the most often) and leave tips or reviews on what to get or avoid at a specific establishment. For business owners, a great deal of data can be accessed to better understand their customers, such as how often regulars frequent their establishment, at what times they are visiting and sometimes even what they are ordering or buying—all free to the merchant. "Business owners can run Foursquare 'specials' to drive more traffic to their business," explains Dev Anand, busi- ness development at Foursquare. Owners can reward customers checking in for the first or, say, fifth time with such specials as a free drink or appetizer. When Foursquare check-ins are visible on other social media such as Facebook and Twitter, that means greater social reach for the merchant. "Business owners who decide to claim or verify their [Foursquare] identity don't need to teach customers to do some- thing differently," Anand says. "They just have to join in on the conversation." One merchant who has gained traction with Foursquare is Northern Spy Food Co., a small farm-to-table restaurant in New York. About a year ago, founder and part- ner Christophe Hille noticed some Twitter MORE ONLINE E-COMMERCE WEBSITES BIRCHBOX: Members receive a monthly box of luxury beauty samples. Food items, such as tea and chocolate, are regularly included. birchbox.com BLISSMOBOX: Members receive time-sensitive email deals offering up to 70 percent off; users can also sign up to receive a monthly curated box of organic and eco-friendly products. blissmobox.com FAB: Free discounted flash-sale site that features a daily deal on products that incorporate high-quality design. fab.com FOODZIE: Online marketplace with weekly limited-time offers and Tasting Club, a $29.95 monthly subscription for tasting boxes of full-size items. foodzie.com GOTHAMBOX: A $20 monthly subscription gets you a box of either New York or San Francisco's "best products." Products include chocolate, bagels, coffee, granola and more. gothambox.com LOT18: Invitation-only membership provides access to limited-time or limited-quantity offers for high-quality, obscure wines and gourmet foods at attractive prices, as well as wine- and gourmet-themed travel excursions and exclusive dinners at top restaurants across the country. lot18.com OPENSKY: Members curate their own shopping experience by answering a series of lifestyle questions—from fashion sense to cooking habits—and receive personalized suggestions for products. Members can browse personal shops and recommendations of experts and celebrities that interest them. opensky.com RUE LA LA: This invitation-only site features top brands in fashion, home, travel and specialty foods in 48-hour "boutiques." Buyers work directly with the brands to determine the best selection, offering and timing for boutiques, and Rue La La boasts more than 5 million members. ruelala.com SCOUTMOB: Location-based coupons are sent directly to a mobile device via an app. Unlike Groupon, Scoutmob's model does not require an upfront payment for coupons. The coupons are held in a phone's app and redeemed at the point of sale, just like a paper coupon. Businesses pay for the service in the form of a flat fee on each coupon read. scoutmob.com 30 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE ❘ specialtyfood.com chatter about people "checking in" at his restaurant via Foursquare. "I was somewhat active on Twitter at that time, engaging in conversation with like-minded followers, TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE FOURSQUARE PROMOTIONS Christophe Hille Northern Spy Food Co. t #VEHFU SFXBSET TVDI BT GSFF drinks into marketing costs. t ,FFQ USBDL PG UIF EJTDPVOUT PO UIF server end and the bookkeeping end; clearly mark them as promotion. t (P CJH %PO U CF UJNJE XJUI rewards; offer something sub- stantial like a free drink or dessert.