TL;DR
Panera Bread is expecting to make $1 billion or more in digital sales this year and is hoping to double that number by 2019. The chain's digital sales, including online, mobile and kiosk orders, are currently accounting for 26 percent of its sales.
The choice to go digital for Panera Bread was great for business. According to a recent CNBC article, the soup and sandwich chain is expecting to make $1 billion or more in digital sales this year and is hoping to double that number by 2019.
Outside of the pizza industry, Panera is reporting the highest rate of digital sales. Online, mobile and kiosk orders are accounting for 26 percent of the chain’s sales at the moment, compared to the pizza industry which typically sees 50 percent for digital. The combination of Panera’s Rapid Pickup program and delivery service added in 2016 is helping improve the customer experience as well as increase sales.
"For us, it's not just about new technology for technology's sake — it's about making the guest experience better," said Ron Shaich, Panera's CEO.
In this story
This story was originally published in 1851 Franchise on June 14, 2017. Burnaze summarizes and links to the original reporting.
Read the full story at 1851 FranchiseLiked this? Get the week's franchise news, explained
- Sunday 8 AM ET weekly + a monthly deep dive
- Sections picked for the industries you follow
- Every claim linked to its source. Free.