Deals and discounts can play a role in boosting customer traffic.

With restaurants increasingly focused on mobile ordering and delivery, a recent study suggests brands may need to also evaluate offering deals and discounts to bring in more guests.

According to savings platform RetailMeNot, which connects consumers with digital offers, 80 percent of consumers in a study on dining habits indicated they are likely to try a new restaurant if offered a promotion and 62 percent of consumers are willing to travel up to 10 miles to eat if a restaurant is offering a deal or a discount.

“When choosing a restaurant, customers are faced with many choices, and a promotion or discount can help diners decide where to eat,” Marissa Tarleton, CMO of RetailMeNot, says in a statement.“We know customers are using their mobile devices to search, review, and rate their experience while dining out. It’s important for restaurant marketers to reach these consumers on their mobile devices in the moments they are planning where to dine.”

RetailMeNot says that more than one-third of diners search for deals ahead of dining out, and 53 percent of consumers surveyed have at least one food and dining app on their phone. Of those that have food and dining apps, 21 percent have restaurant-specific apps, 24 percent have review apps, and 20 percent have savings apps.

And while many mobile platforms focus on convenience and to-go offerings, the survey indicates that 72 percent of consumers still prefer to dine in at their restaurant of choice.

Nearly half of those surveyed said they will give a restaurant a second chance after a bad experience if they’re offered a deal or discount on their next meal.

See the full survey at www.retailmenot.com/digitaldiners2017

Feature, Technology