1 million pizzas sold on Bartercard
A popular Gold Coast pizza brand has secured a bigger slice of the market with Bartercard. We spent five minutes chatting to Maries Pizza CEO Kate Biglands who shares supreme advice on business success.
Maries Pizza is a home-grown success story. Founded on the Gold Coast in 1981, its first store in Palm Beach soon became a hangout for local surfers and residents, and a legendary pizzeria was born. Fast forward to 2017 and the brand has grown to seven stores covering most areas of the Gold Coast, with a dedicated following.
Maries Pizza CEO, Kate Biglands said the brand’s secrets are customer loyalty developed over three decades, and its ability to adapt and remain proactive.
“We were one of the first take away outlets to introduce home delivery as an option on the Gold Coast,” said Kate. “We had a much smaller competition base at the start but the number of outlets in takeaway food has exploded over the years.”
She said the biggest challenge for most businesses is to remain competitive and profitable when costs are rising and margins are being squeezed. “Our strategy in this environment is to stand firm and not compromise quality in the pursuit of profit; even though the competition is fierce in delivering price points under $5 per pizza.”
Boosting business on Bartercard
In 2006, Maries Pizza joined Bartercard, a business network designed to attract new customers and boost sales.
Kate said what started as an experiment to increase customers today contributes to 5% to 10% of Maries Pizza’s turnover.
“The Bartercard system does what it promises and will attract additional customers,” said Kate. “There are Facebook communities, websites and networking opportunities. There’s a lot of potential to connect with like-minded people who are all members of a community interested in doing business.”
Maries Pizza recently sold its millionth pizza sold on Bartercard, though Kate admits selling is made easier with such a popular commodity.
“We are very lucky to sell a product that, when done well, sells itself!” she said. “Our roots are family based and our customers will happily support a local brand if it’s quality.”
SMEs in Bartercard exchange products and services without the use of cash to attract new customers, offset cash expenses and boost cash flow.
For more business tips, download our free e-book, 2017 Hospitality Trends.
April 6th 2017
