Updating Your Stadium Commerce Experience

Simple updates to your stadium’s commerce experience can significantly improve your customers’ satisfaction while also boosting your profits. In the face of current trends and competition with at-home entertainment options, such updates are becoming essential for stadium operators rather than optional.With today’s proliferation of entertainment options coupled with health fears and tightening budgets, every improvement helps. Customers expect greater convenience, novelty, and value—luckily, there are several simple options to deliver all of those things while also improving your bottom line. Keep reading for strategic ways to update your stadium’s commerce experience.

5 Ways to Update Your Stadium Commerce Experience

Fortunately, there are numerous simple, affordable options you can implement to update your stadium commerce experience.

#1 Incorporate Point of Sale (POS) Technology

No one wants to get out of their seat in the middle of a show to wait in line for a hotdog. The situation can easily be improved by offering point-of-sale options. These systems are becoming the norm at restaurants and offer even greater potential convenience at stadiums, where customers could conceivably pay right from their seats or a close, easily accessible terminal point.Point-of-sale technologies come in four basic forms. They are:

• Systems on the customers’ smartphones – Smartphone-based POS systems allow customers to order and pay from anywhere—including from their seats.
• Desktop systems – Desktop systems are generally employed in centralized locations such as sales counters, essentially replacing face-to-face vendor interactions.
• Self-service kiosks – Self-service kiosks are great for allowing an easy flow of customers to grab convenience items on the fly.
• Tablet systems – Tablet systems are often situated where the customer is, such as at restaurant tables or in show-viewing booths.

The various options offer slightly different benefits that are better-suited for certain situations. Rather than selecting one from the group, you might benefit most from a mixed bag of them all.Point-of-sale systems offer more than convenience. They:

• Reduce crime by eliminating the need for customers to carry cash
• Improve the quality of data collection that can be used to improve the customer experience
• Reduce the spread of viruses by limiting close interaction

#2 Use QR Codes

QR codes are small but mighty tool that do a lot for your stadium. In addition to offering customers the convenience of simple pay-by-scan with their smartphones, QR Codes can be programmed to:

• Invite customers to join loyalty programs
• Reveal stadium messaging
• Share promotions
• Offer up selling opportunities

#3 Improve Signage to Increase Sales

This may seem like a low-tech update, but at least one study suggests it can make a significant difference in foot-traffic and it’s an update your customers want. The University of Florida found that 15.5% of sports fans wanted the flow of pedestrians at venues to be more streamlined (and less prone to crowds and bottlenecks).Though structurally changing stadiums is costly and often impossible, you can still achieve better pedestrian traffic through improved signage. Even better? Directed pedestrian flow can be used to help you strategically place self-service kiosks and services to maximize points of sales and therefore profits.

#4 Invite Local Small Business Vendors

Inviting local small businesses to set up temporary shops or booths can be a smart way to add novelty for fans while also bringing in some hometown flair. This option is particularly useful for smaller venues with limited sales options.Local businesses often appreciate the opportunity to connect with new customers. They benefit from an expanded customer base while stadium operators benefit from a no-cost variety of offerings and community engagement.

#5 Inform Fans in Real-Time

Using social media and custom apps, you can communicate with their customers in real-time. You can share:

• Traffic advisories for fans en-route
• Weather updates
• Parking alerts
• Updates regarding which entrances and exits are least congested

All of these little updates foster a personal connection with your customers while also improving their experience. It’s a holistic approach to updating your stadium’s commerce.

Go for the Gold with GoTab

In the competition against home-entertainment options, you will likely be searching for innovations far into the future. First, though, there are some simple approaches that range from low-cost to profit-improving. Whether it’s improving signage or using point-of-sale technology, you can update your stadium’s commerce experience today, with relatively little complication.GoTab requires no new software or hardware and focuses on making adoption easy for you. Developed by restaurateurs entrenched in the hospitality industry, we created our technology based on firsthand expertise. We understand your stadium’s unique needs and can bring your venue’s commerce experience into a whole new era of profitability for you and enjoyment for your customers. Reach out today and let’s talk about what kind of updates we can make to your stadium together.Sources: 

• CNBC. Keeping fans in the stands is getting harder to do. https://www.cnbc.com/id/100886843
• Digital Music News. Concert Awareness Is Booming. So Why Is Attendance Declining? https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2012/05/04/easier/
• NBC Sports. After peaking in 2007, NFL attendance steadily has declined. https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/07/08/after-peaking-in-2007-nfl-attendance-steadily-has-declined/
• Oracle Food and Beverage. Stadium of the Future. https://www.oracle.com/a/ocom/docs/dc/stadium-of-the-future-report-final.pdf
• University of Florida. How Sport Stadiums are Optimizing the Fan Experience. https://ufonline.ufl.edu/infographics/sport-stadiums-fan-experience/