Mother’s Day was not only a celebration for mums but also for the Orchid Group pubs in which thousands of families marked the special day. The day was the busiest in Orchid history with total sales of £866k. Combined with the busiest Saturday in Orchid history the day before, with sales of £762k, this made for an incredibly successful weekend.
Magnificent 7 push brings impressive results
“Each year we plan bigger and better activity around key calendar dates as part of our Magnificent 7 initiative,” explains Orchid Group Commercial & People Director Simon Dodd. “We run activities around seven opportunities in the first half of the year, and then a further seven in the second half, and results are always outstanding.”
The concerted effort to push for increased covers and additional sales on such days has brought in some great figures, including Orchid’s best-ever Christmas trading in 2013 with more than 8% LFL growth.
Customers celebrate on key dates
“Customer spending is tight, but on key dates like Father’s Day, Easter, Bank Holidays and so on customers are keen to celebrate with their family and often choose a pub as a relaxed and enjoyable place to do so without breaking the bank,” Simon adds.
“The key to our continued success is clear – well-planned events and the right consumer offer flawlessly executed by exceptional managers and their teams.
“Our next Magnificent 7 push is Easter and we hope to break a few more records!”
Highlights for the company and divisions
- +10.9% LFL with Mother’s Day 2013
- +22% LFL at All Inns
- +20% LFL at Great British Carvery pubs
- +16% LFL at Thai Dragons
- Over 23k carveries sold
- Over 32k glasses of wine sold