Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Bitter Taste

The Subway sandwich shop chain drama has been playing out in the national media for years, and it's been fascinating.

To quickly get you up to speed, Subway had a big bite of the fast food sandwich market.  The chain lost its way by opening too many stores (most are franchises) and having its main commercial spokesman get in trouble with the law.  Plus, other sandwich chains came on the scene and did it better.

There was a time you can sit on a bench in any downtown and see so many people with
Subway bags at lunch time.  Its stores in strip malls attracted the most traffic.

Upper management thought the path out of the woods was cutting prices.  The people who owned the franchises balked, saying they would lose money.

Subway closed stores and watched its market share eaten away.

According to the New York Post, upper management wants to try it again by offering two subs for $ 10.   The catch:  franchise owners don't have to go along with the promotion, and three-quarters of the stores won't do it.  That's one sure way to lose customers-- visit a store and be told that sale you saw on tv, heard on the radio and read in the paper means nothing.

Think of your own experiences.  Talk with friends.  I'm betting most will say Subway subs aren't as good as they used to be.  If the chain wants its customers back, it's simple.  Sell better food.