From our conversations with leading retailers and industry experts, we’ve put together 10 steps to make your store the go-to place for quality evening meals.

Evening meals are worth £5.2bn in convenience stores and offer a huge opportunity to independent stores to stand out from the competition.

Getting started

1. Check out the local competition and ask your shoppers what they are looking for that you’re not currently selling.
2. Create meal deals around pizzas and garlic bread, as well as ready meals, to get shoppers interested in your store.
3. Start slow to minimise waste. Frozen meal deals are a great way to start as these products have a longer shelf life.

Driving sales

1. Offer ready-made food as well as a wide range of ingredients to appeal to customers in a rush as well as those into cooking from scratch.
2. Promote your evening meal options on social media from 3pm onwards so that your store is in the minds of your shoppers as they travel home from work.
3. Provide all ingredients to make the most popular dishes: sausages and mash, roast dinner, spaghetti bolognese and stir fry.
4. Put pastas and sauces in front of the chillers. Stocking different ingredients together, even without making them a deal, can increase sales.

Be the talk of the town

1. Partner with local suppliers and tell them what your shoppers are looking for. This will build your relationship as well as drive sales.
2. Offer premium ready-made food that shoppers are willing to pay more for.
3. Take risks by stocking unusual quality products that customers can’t buy elsewhere.