Last night I went to the cinema in the Brisbane City Myer Centre. It was 5.30pm so I was a little peckish. As I approached the bustling food court I quickly realised that my choices were very limited as most of the food court stalls were earnestly packing up for the day. Can I just repeat that it was bustling. There were people everywhere, rushing for the car park, rushing for the bus station, rushing for home on empty bellies and yet every stall holder was closing up shop for the day as if there were no more customers to be served.
It was in the midst of this scene that a very enthusiastic, orange clad, Asian lady pushed a menu into my hands “Excuse me, Miss – but would you like to order something?” and I thought, “Yes, I certainly would like to order something from your very attractive menu which is complimented by very appetising photos of the thirteen authentic Asian dishes you offer from seven different Asian countries. Oh, and they’re all under $10. What a steal!” My order was taken, I was offered a drink and a side order which I eagerly accepted. I took a seat to wait for my meal and happily observed the two counter attendants flagging people down, creating a constant stream of paying customers. I looked around me and each person was eating from a FantAsia tub. Only two minutes passed before ticket number 4 was called and I went to accept my own tub as well as a lid so that I could bring my leftovers home with me.
As I mulled over this experience I couldn’t help but think that this is a catering operator who is getting it really right. They have chosen a strong location and they are giving customers exactly what they want.
Taking advantage of opportunities in the marketplace requires two things:
1. Know your market
2. Know your customers
In Brisbane City Centre it is quite easy to guess who your customers are; young professionals, living in rented accommodation with high disposable income… but what if I were to tell you that of the 8,704 people residing in Brisbane city –
- 61% do not have dependent children
- There are 6.3% more men than women
- 23.5% walk to work
- Only 37% of Brisbane city residents are actually from Australia?
If you were to set up a fast food outlet in the Brisbane CBD tomorrow and take full advantage of the opportunity, know your market and the customers. These are the key factors that would make the difference between closing up your stall at 5.30pm and not accepting any more customers for the day, or making the informed decision to stay open and relieve some of those young, childless, male professionals from that high disposable income sitting in their pocket.
If you would like to get to know your customers better and delve into your local demographics contact Samantha Litfin or call 3878 9355.
