Get Juiced!
by Barb Gormley
When the competition heats up, let a juice bar help sweeten your profits.
| If you stop by Fitness Focus (www.fitnessfocus.ca) in Saskatoon during peak hours, there’s a good chance you’ll see a line-up of thirsty exercisers at the club juice bar laughing and chatting over the whirr of the blender. The club estimates that one of out three of its 1,400 members buys a drink, a wrap sandwich or a quick snack during each visit.
“I think our members would rate our juice bar 9 out of 10 if you asked them how important it is to them,” says front desk person Kristie Anderson. With a menu of protein shakes, juice, diet pop, water, trail mix, energy bars and wrap sandwiches, there’s an energy-booster for just about every taste. Some members grab a takeaway sandwich for lunch while others sit down at one of the small tables to catch up with friends. “Our water fountain water isn’t very cold,” says Anderson, explaining why bottled water is their best seller. Coffee is another big item for the 50-plus crowd that settles in at the small tables to socialize after their morning workouts. |
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Make good nutrition convenient
According to co-owner Tammie Teneyche, running the juice bar is a no-hassle experience. Her staffing plan is generous, so there’s always someone available to serve customers. And the juice bar’s location beside the front desk means there’s another pair of hands available during peak times, if necessary. Though it may be popular, Teneyche notes that it’s not a big moneymaker. “It’s a convenience for people really,” she says. “It’s a nice service that our members appreciate, especially if they’re working out at lunch time.”
Differentiate from the chains
At Popeye’s Gym & Fitness (www.popeyesgym.com) in Kitchener, Ontario, its juice bar has always been a popular spot. But when three big new chains started moving into their market eight years ago, the mid-size, 30-year-old facility with 2,700 members knew it had to differentiate itself in the marketplace if it was to survive and thrive. Ramping-up juice bar sales has proven to be one of its most successful strategies.
“Our juice bar has had a phenomenal affect on retention,” says general manager Wes Hodgson, “because it offers a great opportunity to build relationships with members.” According to Hodgson, the 250 square foot “Health Bar” gives his friendly employees an excuse to chat with members and learn names while blending their drinks. It also gives them the chance to up-sell supplements and vitamins and makes it easy for new and veteran members to mix and feel that they’re a real part of the club.
But the impact of its juice bar goes far beyond retention. After membership fees and personal training, Popeye’s juice bar has become one of its most impressive profit centres. “We absolutely make a profit,” states Hodgson. In fact, monthly revenues average $20,000 a month for shakes and supplements combined. A basic shake, a “mocha madness” or a “strawberry bananarama,” for example, is $5.00. With 75 cent add-ins – energy shots, veggie greens, bran and others – the final price can easily climb to $6.50 or $7.00.
Market for success
But you can’t just start offering shakes and expect members to buy them, notes Hodgson who estimates his 24-hour club sells 100 shakes per day or 3,000 a month. Nutrition education, promotion and complementary drinks are all part of a well-planned marketing strategy. “It’s just like personal training or membership sales: You have to educate people and motivate them to buy.” For example, at Popeye’s, fitness consultants lead new members to the juice bar for an on-the-house shake after their initial consultation, and the consultant explains the concept of the post-exercise protein recovery drink. The club has discovered that this approach almost guarantees that new members will buy a shake the next time they come in. In other situations, the club finds that a complementary shake also does wonders to settle a disgruntled member.
Sell good-tasting products
Another key to success is high-quality products that taste delicious, advises Hodgson. Popeye’s offerings are so tasty that on-duty police officers and exercisers from a nearby no-frills boxing club stop by on a regular basis.
According to Hodgson, a club’s goal should be to make at least $5.00 on ancillaries per visit from each member, and a juice bar is an ideal way to do so. “It’s not a lot of work, and the margins are great.”
7 Tips for Juice Bar Success(source: www.FitbodyCanada.com) |
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1. Location
Position your juice bar in a high-traffic area.
2. Give fast and friendly service
Ensure counter staff establish a helpful and friendly rapport with customers.
3. Set reasonable prices
Track your competitors’ prices and what’s going on in the marketplace.
4. Keep the juice bar clean and clutter-free
Maintain an “A” grade with the health department and your customers.
5. Offer a customer- and staff-friendly product
Make your product reliable and easy to prepare. If it’s healthy, tasty and made with high-quality ingredients, customers will thank you with their sales.
6. Develop interesting concepts and themes
Add new flavours regularly, and support your products with marketing materials. Offer upgraded and new products; customers always want the latest that’s available.
7. Promotions
Continually promote your juice bar. If it’s not a priority for you, it won’t be a priority for your staff or customers.
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