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Every October, Taste Week celebrates products, producers, and the joy of eating well. For a food shop, it's a showcase: a chance to talk about your products, welcome curious customers, and show your approach. But it's also, and above all, a commercial peak you shouldn't miss. A moment when your loyal customers become ambassadors, when newcomers become regulars.
How do you turn Taste Week into a loyalty driver? It's not about elaborate tastings or expensive events. It's first about understanding what your customers want, then rewarding them for coming. Here's how.
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Why Taste Week is a unique opportunity
Taste Week is a national event, known and expected. Many customers know it happens, even if few remember the exact dates. That's already an advantage: the consumer has a predisposition to buy, try, and discover. Your job is to channel that desire toward your shop.
Unlike a Black Friday or big promotion, Taste Week focuses on value: products, sharing, quality. For a local business, that's your strength. You know your products, you've chosen them, you can tell their story. A big retailer can't do that. You can.
How to animate without overcomplicating things
When shop owners hear "animation," they immediately think of something complicated: workshops to organize, demonstrations to set up, experts to call. Result: nobody moves. But animation can be simple.
Concrete example for a specialty grocery. Monday through Friday, you feature a different product each day: a cheese Monday, a white wine Tuesday, a quality conserve Wednesday. Each product sits at the entrance with a small card explaining its story: where it comes from, why you chose it, how to use it. Thursday and Friday, you offer a tasting: three small pieces of the week's featured product, at the counter. That's it. No extra staff, nothing complicated. Just your desire to share.
For a bakery, it's even simpler. Each day of Taste Week, you promote a special recipe: ancient grain bread Monday, focaccia Tuesday, seasonal pastry Wednesday. No extra labor, just a better production schedule and a sign. It gives people a reason to come by each day of the week.
Loyalty and Taste Week: the winning combination
Now comes the loyalty lever. During Taste Week, offer double points on your loyalty program. Not everywhere, just this week. That's enough to bring your loyal customers back more often, and it encourages newcomers to sign up.
Concretely: "This week, every purchase earns double points on your card." Simple, clear, effective. You can do better: give a small surprise gift to every new member. Nothing expensive, just meaningful. A small jar of homemade specialty, a magnet, a printed recipe. It shows you're really welcoming them.
Hidden advantage: your loyal customers will talk about it. "She mentioned it, her grocery shop is doing double points during Taste Week." You've created an event, which attracts word-of-mouth. That's already half the battle.
Example: neighborhood butcher shop. During Taste Week, double points for all loyal customers. Plus, those who come Friday or Saturday get a small bag of specialties to try at home. Result: more weekday visits, more new sign-ups, more word-of-mouth. Your loyalty program is doing its job.
Attracting new customers
Taste Week is also a chance to welcome curious people who don't know you yet. Neighbors stopping by for the first time, tourists, people looking for an alternative to chains. How do you turn them into regular customers?
First, make their first visit easy. A free tasting is a small gift that says: "Welcome to us." It doesn't have to be sophisticated. A piece of cheese, a crumb of cake, a glass of juice. Just hospitality. Second, sign them up for your loyalty program with a bonus: "First-time visit this week? We're giving you 50 welcome points." That hooks them right away. Third, ask a question: "Do you live in the neighborhood?" or "Are you new to our products?" That creates human connection.
Many new customers become regulars if you welcome them well the first time. Taste Week is your golden window.
Involving your staff
Nothing kills an event faster than unmotivated staff. If the seller doesn't offer the tasting, if nobody explains the double points offer, the event collapses. Your team needs to be front and center.
One hour of meeting is enough. You explain: what Taste Week is, what you're offering, why double points, how to welcome newcomers. You give each person a role: who manages the tasting, who explains the loyalty program, who greets customers at the door. A few days before, hold a small internal tasting so everyone tastes the products and knows them well. That creates enthusiasm.
An informed and enthusiastic team sells better. It's that simple.
Keeping the connection after the week
Sunday night, Taste Week ends. What happens? For many small shops: nothing. The event passes. But that's exactly when you must maintain the connection.
New customers who joined your loyalty program need to come back. How? With a small surprise the following week. An email, a note at the counter, a light offer. "Did you enjoy Taste Week? We have a little surprise for you this week." Not a big discount, just connection. You're laying another stone in the wall of loyalty.
Regular customers have accumulated points. Offer them an accessible reward the next week so they use them. That brings them back again. Taste Week isn't an isolated spike; it's the start of a new habit.
Build loyalty with EasyFid during Taste Week
Double points, new sign-ups, regular customers: turn seasonal events into loyalty milestones. EasyFid helps you manage it all simply, without complications, while keeping the human connection with your customers.
📱 App Store 🤖 Google PlayFrequently asked questions
What is Taste Week?
Taste Week is a national event held every October. It aims to promote food products, raise awareness about good culinary practices, and create a link between consumers and producers. It's an opportunity for food shops to organize tastings, workshops, and activities.
How can I use Taste Week to build loyalty?
Taste Week is a reason to liven up your shop. Organize tastings for your loyal customers, create an exclusive offer this week, offer bonuses or double points on your loyalty program. Also invite new customers to discover your products and your local business approach.
Can I offer bonus points during Taste Week?
Absolutely. It's an excellent idea. You can offer double points, a surprise offer, or an early birthday gift this week. The key is to give customers a reason to come back right now, not just next year.
How do I get my team involved in Taste Week?
Train your staff to present products, offer bonus points, and welcome new customers. All salespeople should know the program and be enthusiastic about it. A well-informed team multiplies the uptake rate of special offers.