Illustrative stock photo (source: Sme)
There are several large food retailers in Slovakia that are fighting for customers with various methods. Some of them offer loyalty schemes and others lure shoppers with discounts on pastries and other perishables shortly before closing.
The retail chain Kaufland is going one step further by launching a happy hour. This means that each client shopping between 17:00 and 21:00 between Monday and Wednesday gets a 10-percent discount on the whole purchase, excluding tobacco and tobacco products, the Sme daily wrote.
Kaufland has neither specified why it opted for the happy hour nor until when it will last.
“We keep analysing and assessing this action,” said Lucia Langová, spokesperson of Kaufland.
Not common in shops
Happy hour is not a support scheme commonly used in retail trade. Retail analyst Ľubomír Drahovský has also not come across it abroad. Retail chains rather use high discounts on selected products just before shutting down the shop.
“Kaufland most likely wants to attract shoppers,” Drahovský told Sme, believing that other retail chains will follow.
Retail chains may with similar actions lure more people into shops and sell out perishables like bread or ham. But this has another advantage.
“The less goods that remain on shop counters, the less elaborate it is for workers,” said Drahovský.
