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Hotel pantries stocked with the items guests frequently request are gaining popularity across all hotel brands. Guests enjoy the convenience, and hotel operators discovered a few of the benefits.
Independently owned hotels are also developing their own unique market to meet the needs of their guests. With an experienced procurement company like Source1 Purchasing, any hotel can install and operate a pantry easily.
Source1 Purchasing recognizes that every dollar matters. In order to effectively develop this part of your business quickly and cost-effectively, you need to consider the specific items your guest request most often and learn how procurement solutions can make it easy to manage.
Source1 provides access to a complete pantry solution from installation to pricing, reports and automatic inventory shipments. Establishing a pantry for your guests is easier than you might think. Keep these three steps in mind as you consider starting yours:
1) Start simple. You do not have to carry a lot of products in your hotel pantry. While some variety is good, you can focus on the top items your guests have asked for in the past. Just ask the front desk staff.
2) If you’re inclined to be cautious, you can start small with one movable rack. Have select items that a guest would ordinarily use to learn how the concept works with your guests.
3) Start with a few of the most-requested products: aspirin or acetaminophen, packaged snacks and beverages.
By stocking these most-requested items, you build awareness and repeat visits for other items from toiletries to snack and beverages. . Guests who leave the hotel to buy something as small as acetaminophen are more likely to add other purchases while they’re out including quick meals. Consider offering enough variety to keep your guest happy with a selection they can buy from you. As hotel operators, you have more options to open a new revenue stream with a conservative out –of-pocket expense. .
Having a market in your hotel provides convenience for guests. Most travelers prefer the ease of getting what they want in your facility. Nobody wants to be spend time trying to find the drug store or diner in a strange city. It easier to simply walk downstairs, and purchase snacks in the lobby.
If you are looking to expand your current hotel pantry, consider setting up a small electronics section. This is another way to meet a guest’s need and capture more revenue. Today’s guests are well-connected — they cannot function long if they forgot batteries, electronics plugs and chargers.
Ready-made meals are another key area for pantries. You can find clues to the more popular food items in your local grocery and convenience stores that are seeing a growing demand for ready-made and shelf-stable meals.
Sometimes guests want something they can pick up and eat quickly. But occasionally there may in interest in a new, exciting flavors. With this in mind, look beyond typical food selections to grab their attention. Make use of Source1’s expertise to help you locate these ingredients.
Hotelchatter.com highlighted DoubleTree’s new “Made Market” which provides a good example of how you can design a market specifically for your hotel. Instead of packaged cereal, boxes of milk and microwaveable meals, they are serving freshly made foods that are packaged for quick consumption.
Some of the menu options include omelets, frittatas, soufflés, flatbreads, salads and burgers on brioche buns. A guest may purchase coffee in the morning, and then enjoy a glass of wine or draft beer in the evening. These markets also have favorite snack items that guests can purchase.
Meeting guest expectations with items they need and delicious ready-made food can also benefit the bottom line. Hotel markets are quickly becoming a new source of revenue. Customers are proving that they will pay a bit more if they can get what they want right in the hotel lobby.
A hotel pantry is a great amenity for hotel operators to offer because it doesn’t require a lot of inventory or capital to get started. You can always test the concept and easily expand it to include ready-made food, additional snacks, and health and beauty products.
This allows you to provide an amenity that also brings in revenue, meaning it’s a win-win for your guests and your bottom line.
