Digital Sign Increases Store Sales
The owner of the DQ store in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, discovered how to increase sales by 30% on specific menu items… feature them on his digital sign.
6/4/2024
Categories: Business & Community
Bob McCloy owns four Dairy Queen stores in West Virginia. He’s got some Grill and Chill stores and one location with a very old contract that offers DQ Treats and the restaurant’s own menu items.
That’s the store that got an update with a Daktronics 8 mm roadside digital sign last December.
“We went ahead and spent the extra money and got the better resolution,” McCloy says. “It’s excellent up close, and as people walk in and out of the store or traffic goes by it's super clear. We couldn't be happier with the clarity and the picture.”
The color and vibrancy of the sign improve the store’s curb appeal, attracting attention and driving them to the store.
Improved sales are the real treat
“The store is outperforming the district average in the neighborhood of about 8 percent,” says McCloy. “It’s outperforming our other three stores by about 4 percent. Previously, that store had been lacking in both categories all of last year. I credit the sign for that.”
McCloy also tracks sales of specific promotional items – with incredible results.
“If we put a discounted item on the sign, it drives transactions on that item about 30% versus prior and post weeks. There’s no way we could advertise that and promote it to that level without the sign.”
Because they don’t have a fryer or a grill, the Point Pleasant DQ features menu items like hot dogs, sandwiches, wraps and salads.
“This is salad season, and they moved 34 percent the week we had them up on the sign versus the prior and post week,” McCloy says.
Content matters
Because of the unusual menu options at that DQ store, McCloy uses messages provided by DQ as well as some of his own content.
“Typically, what we do is, Friday afternoon, we switch to a DQ soft serve item and we run it through close of Sunday night,” he explains. “Then we pick up Monday morning with our own food item and run it through lunch time on Friday.”
The future looks bright with digital
McCloy plans to make some improvements on his other stores, and he hopes to incorporate Daktronics digital signs.
“I wouldn't be surprised if the year continues like it's doing – which so far has been pretty good – that this time next year we'll have a board in Ripley as well,” he says. “That was our first store, and it has the old plastic letter board. We started day one just hammering specials, and we've done it for the 17 years we've been there.”
People in Ripley, WV, are dedicated to their DQ, which is a Grill and Chill franchise. If they don’t see the advertised special in the morning, they often call to ask about it. McCloy believes a digital sign would increase the number of people seeing their specials, which would improve sales.
“It's hard to look at the cost and think, ‘what's it gonna do for me?’” says McCloy. “But I think if you actually use it and keep the content fresh and exciting, that sign will allow you to recoup the cost very quickly.
“If you're thinking about it, you need to just go ahead and jump on it. Because the numbers that I've seen more than justify the initial cost.”
Learn more about how digital can help your business increase sales.