Restaurant And Hospitality IT News For VARs — October 30, 2013
By Anna Rose Welch, Editorial & Community Director, Advancing RNA
This week, report shows consumer view of mobile wallet programs, and hospitality trends include digital room service.
Consumer Attraction To Mobile Wallets Extends Beyond Technology
Javelin Strategy and Research has released a report entitled “Mobile Wallet Game Changers: A Glimpse into 2014’s Projected Winners and Losers.” The report analyzes 12 major mobile wallet providers, outlining the changes each provider has made in the past year and how consumers now view the overall product. Because mobile app and online payments are more popular than mobile proximity payments, Javelin says digital wallets are an effective way to provide frictionless adoption of mobile wallets. Mary Monahan, director of Mobile at Javelin Strategy and Research says, “It is a mistake to assume that consumer attraction to a particular technology (e.g. cloud, NFC, QR code, Bluetooth, etc.) alone will separate winners and losers.”
Going Digital Reinvents Room Service, Overall Revenue
Meeting Focus has outlined the top five hospitality trends for 2014 according to the Kendall College School of Hospitality Management. Among the trends highlighted, hotels are reinventing room service to include digital in-room menus. “Digital word of mouth” is key to impacting a business’ revenue — not only are 3.3 billion brands mentioned in 2.4 billion brand-related conversations, but 33 percent of customers consider reviews from TripAdvisor to be extremely important. Other trends include increases in international travelers, bars serving classic and pre-prohibition cocktails, and “green” eco-friendly practices/procedures becoming a new hospitality standard.
Gamification Trend Growing For Loyalty Programs
Jason Ankeny for Entrepreneur argues that the gamification trend is key for SMBs looking to start up a loyalty program. The article highlights some of the upcoming providers of gamified platforms for loyalty programs and some of the various ways the programs work for retailers and consumers.
Hospitality Among Top Loyalty Program Markets
Travel Daily News has released the results of the Consumer Loyalty Survey completed by Hotels.com. Grocery and drugstore chain loyalty programs were the most popular, followed by travel related loyalty programs.
Restaurant And Hospitality IT Talking Points
Diana Adams for Bit Rebels provides an infographic entitled QR vs. NFC: Which will reign supreme in the battle to replace your credit card?
Red Orbit discusses the results of a survey that appeared in the Journal of Consumer Research. According to the survey, members of loyalty programs are willing to sacrifice exclusivity in order to share rewards from a loyalty program with others. Loyalty programs that enable a consumer to share benefits with an entourage will leave consumers feeling a social connectedness, which can enhance an individual’s personal feeling of status.
AT Kearney estimates there will be roughly 2 billion new middle-class consumers — mostly from Asia. This group holds the potential to be a large customer base for budget and mid-range hotel chains. However, many major hotel chains are investing in building large upscale properties rather than focusing on the increasing potential of budget and mid-range hotel chains. AT Kearney claims this puts the larger chains at risk because local players will take the high-profit mid-range customer segment.
A recent survey from Collinson Latitude on airline loyalty programs found that Americans and Canadians most frequently redeem collected points on free flights and hotel rooms. North American flyers on average have redeemed loyalty program points for flights 4.7 times compared to 2.8 for UK residents and 3.9 for Europeans.