QuickChek is raising the stakes in its competition with other convenience store chains such as 7-Eleven by rolling out a mobile ordering application for 142 locations in New Jersey, New York and Long Island.

QuickChek customers can now place orders for menu items, such as salads, custom-made subs and breakfast meals, via the brand’s mobile app, and pick up their orders at any of its locations in New York’s Hudson Valley, New Jersey or Long Island. As convenience chains battle it out for the largest market share of consumers, QuickChek may stir up some competition with 7-Eleven, which is considered to be a leading mobile marketer in the industry.

“The name says it all!” said Djamel Agaoua, senior vice president of Cheetah Mobile/Cheetah Ad Platform. “Convenience stores are all about providing consumers with the ability to get what they need with as little time and effort as possible.

“In this day and age, mobile ordering through an app is a key component to convenience,” he said. “Why wait on line to order a breakfast sandwich and then have to wait for it to be made?

“With QuickChek’s new app, customers can pre-order their food and run in to pick up their food—spending a fraction of the time on this transaction.”

Fueling more sales
QuickChek could experience a barrage of impulse purchases following the introduction of the new mobile app. Consumers who may be deterred by waiting in long lines will likely be more easily persuaded to order a meal from QuickChek if they know they can pay for it directly on their smartphone and pop in to retrieve it at their nearby store.

Customers may place their orders between 5 AM and 10 PM, and can indicate their desired pick-up time. The orders will be prepared with this time in mind, ensuring that the meal will be fresh and ready at the correct temperature.

Therefore, if individuals want to place their lunchtime order as they are heading to work in the morning, they may do so without worrying about spending most of their break standing in line.

QuickChek’s stores will have designated areas in which customers can pick up their orders.

QuickChek believes that mobile ordering will allow the brand to offer even greater convenience for time-strapped consumers. Additionally, mobile app users will be able to customize their meals to their exact liking.

The marketer has been adapting its offerings to better reflect the constantly-evolving technological landscape that is currently affecting food and beverage marketers. Enhancing loyalty is also a top goal for the company.

QuickChek currently offers an Android and iOS app, called QuickChek Deals, for consumers in all markets. QuickChek Deals enables users to receive messages and mobile coupons regarding the chain’s latest promotions, thereby resulting in plenty of money-saving opportunities.

Adding more competition
QuickChek’s foray into mobile ordering is a smart move for the company, especially as the food and beverage sector becomes more reliant on business stemming from smartphones. Marketers have been forced to get creative in their brand partnerships and mobile offerings in order to stay relevant in today’s fast-paced, technology-first world.

7-Eleven is staying current with the mobile-driven evolution of what constitutes “convenience” through a partnership with ordering app Tapingo that brings products directly to college students (see story).

Additionally, Whole Foods confirmed an expanded partnership with the Instacart delivery app last week, now enabling consumers in a plethora of new regions to take advantage of the ability to purchase groceries on mobile.

“It’s important for retailers to view their mobile apps as a revenue-generating tool and part of their overall strategy, not just a nice-to-have [tool] because competitors have an app,” Mr. Agaoua said. “Retailers have the ability to collect valuable data about their customers who have installed the app.

“With that information, they can put the data to work to drive revenue, and give customers something they may actually want,” he said.

“By incorporating beacon technology into their apps, retailers will know what aisles customers spend time in and can send coupons for products that accompany food service items—bags of chips, napkins and paper plates, pints of ice creams or packs of cookies are all things that customers may want in addition to the sub sandwich they originally ordered through the app.”