In association with Heineken
Tech to play ‘even bigger’ role in pubs of the future
While the Covid-19 pandemic and accompanying restrictions have forced the widespread adoption of new tech such as order and pay apps and booking systems across the on-trade, Heineken’s Pub of the Future report forecasts that the industry’s tech rollout if far from finished.
“We are continuously working on developing our technology, service and insights, to provide customers with actionable data to help them run their business safely, sustainably and profitably,” Richard Stephens, head of technical services at Heineken UK says. “The work we’re doing now will help your pub run smarter in the future.”
London-based ETM Group’s interim operations director, Steven Kirby, explains that the ability to be nimble and adapt to changing scenarios has been crucial over the past 12 months.
“Hospitality as a whole adopted order and pay technology due to the pandemic, however we strongly believe it’s here to stay,” he adds. “It enables customers to order what they want, when they want it even during peak service periods.”
‘Even bigger’ role
According to Heineken’s report, while a large number of operators have more than scratched the surface of touchscreen technology, order and pay apps and data analysis – the next decade will see the proliferation of artificial intelligence, voice commands and live-feed cameras, to name but a few burgeoning on-trade innovations.
As such, Tesh Srivastava, CEO of free business data analysis firm Business Buddy, forecasts that tech will continue to play an “even bigger” role in the pubs of the future.
“Operators currently use tech for accounting systems for tax, payroll, ePOS systems, inventory management and more – some may have even ventured into eCommerce,” he explains.
“These tech systems provide a rich source of business data, and through the correct analysis, operators can make decisions that impact the bottom line, responding to facts about their customer profiles and characteristics.”
- Download Heineken’s future-gazing Pub of the Future report here to find out more about the trends shaping the industry, and how they’re likely to influence the great British pub.
