The Grand Slam Offer: Competing on Value, Not Price
December 2024
Costa charges about £3.20 for a regular flat white. Your local independent charges £3.00. Yet, plenty of people still go to Costa. Why?
Often, it's because they're walking out with a Large.
The extra cost to the chain for that size upgrade is negligible—maybe 8p worth of milk. But the price jump for the customer is 60p. They just made 52p profit on thin air. The customer feels like they got more value, and the business made better margin.
That's a Grand Slam offer. And there is no reason your local café, florist, or barber can't do the exact same thing.
When chains want to win, they don't lower the price. They increase the size. Independents often get trapped in a race to the bottom, trying to be cheaper than the competition. That's a losing game.
Instead, you need to find the lever in your business that costs you almost nothing to increase but feels valuable to the customer.
- Coffee: It's the cup size.
- Florists: It's five extra stems in a bouquet (low cost to you, high visual impact).
- Barbers: It's time. Ten extra minutes for a "premium consultation" costs nothing but schedule management.
This is where pre-purchasing on Indie Points changes the math. You use the Grand Slam as the incentive to get the customer to book ahead.
Don't just offer "Coffee for £3." Offer the "Saturday Morning Bundle: Four Large Coffees and Pastries for £20."
The customer sees they are getting the Large for the price of the Regular. They see value. You, the business owner, see certainty. You've secured £20 on a Thursday. The cost of that "upgrade" you gave away was pennies, but it secured you the working capital to plan your weekend.
This isn't manipulation; it's just efficient economics. A large coffee does cost more to produce, so it has higher value. Offering that value as a reward for booking ahead is a fair trade.
The customer gets the upgrade they wanted. The business gets the cash flow they need. And crucially, we stop competing on who can be the cheapest. We compete on who offers the best value.
When independent businesses start using Grand Slam offers, the neighbourhood changes. You stop defaulting to the chain because "it's better value." You realise you can get the premium experience at the local shop for the same price, just by planning 48 hours ahead.
Find the thing that costs you pennies but is worth pounds to your customer. Build your offer around that. That's how we win.