Franchisor shares the importance of keeping up with the right trends in franchising

For any company operating in any industry, it is critical to adapt to trends related to the market space they operate in. Sally J’Arlette-Joy, founder and CEO of the highly successful Sandwich Baron franchise, elaborates on why it is so important for food franchises to adapt to trends within the franchising market.

A company’s ability to accurately identify emerging market trends that have an impact on its success, and adapt its branding and marketing model accordingly, will ultimately determine if it only thrives in the short term or invigorates a longer term impact amongst its stakeholders.

Similarly, the food franchising industry is one which is constantly evolving, and it is therefore vital that companies stay abreast of trends within this market in order to maintain a strong brand presence, and capitalise fully on market opportunities.

Trends in the food industry tend to primarily relate to developing food concepts to increase short or long term profit. This would include introducing a new food type or beverage, or launching meal specials at lower prices than competitors. This is also needed to keep the interest of consumers peaked.

It is imperative for any franchising company to continuously strive to identify the right trends to follow and adapt accordingly, as this course of action will not only allow them to remain top of mind with consumers but also to keep up with the marketing and branding activities of competitors.

Since our establishment in 1996, Sandwich Baron has constantly strived to ensure our franchising model is unique, and sets the trends within the industry. A relevant example of this is the fact that we were the first food franchise to implement online ordering as we identified the needs of consumers in an ever expanding online world. An example of another growing trend is drive through ordering to satisfy consumers’ needs for ‘instant gratification’. We are currently developing our model of drive through sandwich ordering, as is the case of the Sandwich Baron close to Cresta. Trends come and go, and some will only be viable in a later stage of the business’ life cycle.

To ensure we stay ahead of the curve, we are constantly researching new products and innovations in order to determine fresh ideas that can help improve our brand in any way. This being said, we also don’t just implement any newbie idea unless we know that the offering will add value to all our franchisees. Franchising is after all a ‘family business’ and it is important to do thorough research on the aspects that will affect the health of the family.

It is vital to remember that as it is not possible to keep up with every trend, the prudent course of action is to only implement changes that are relevant to your brand’s core ethos and positioning. Carefully choose which trends to follow with a strategic mindset instead of being a trend slave.

One also needs to exercise discernment between trends and extraneous elements in our economy that are out of our control. The rise and fall of the petrol price, for instance, is not a trend. It is an unsteady variable in our economy that will always vary and affect operational costs. As we are living in a world that is influenced by factors such as price increases, etc. we as business providers need to also make the right adjustments to our business practices.

Sandwich Baron prides its self on our free delivery, for instance. We see it as a great value add to provide this service to our customers at no cost. However, constant escalations have dictated that we needed to take the strategic decision to set a minimum order requirement for food ordered for delivery as the petrol price hikes is influencing our profitability. This is an example of how the Sandwich Baron needed to adapt so that we can ensure the business moves forward.

In conclusion, it is vital to be constantly aware of ongoing developments within the franchising market. Staying on top of shifting market trends will provide franchising companies with a significant competitive advantage, and allow them to prosper well into the future. In my opinion, learn as much as you possibly can from peers in the industry, do research continuously, never stop adapting when it is needed, and remember, the customer is king. This is the true promise behind the recipe to success.