Church’s Texas Chicken turns to data for growth
The US fast-food chain evaluates what customers want and how much they are willing to pay.
Church’s Texas Chicken is betting on data analytics to refine its menu, sourcing, and pricing strategies instead of relying on intuition or market sentiment.
The Georgia-based fast-food chain that specialises in fried chicken has conducted testing over the years to evaluate what customers crave and how much they are willing to pay, Jaye Sinclair, senior vice president of strategic initiatives and execution at Church’s Texas Chicken, told QSR Media Asia.
Top-selling items are added to their marketing calendar as limited-time offers, and using data and product mix analytics, they check whether these take away sales from existing products, he said. “We add items to the main menu that bring a better penny profit and are what the consumer is craving.”
This method has been successful in their wrap and tender menu items across markets in the Asia-Pacific region, Sinclair said.
Church’s Texas Chicken and sister brand Texas Chicken have more than 1,700 outlets across 24 global locations, including Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Singapore, and Vietnam.
Whilst many brands use discount-driven promotions to attract customers, the fast-food chain uses flavour trends and relevance to ensure that customers feel they’re getting more for their money.
“We as a brand have evolved our process of innovation to be country-specific, not brand-centric,” Sinclair said. “This philosophy rolls into the size of portions and combo make-ups to provide the consumer with the taste experience they want to try, rather than a one size fits all [approach].”
He said artificial intelligence (AI) would play a big role in shaping consumer preferences and purchasing decisions in the coming years.
“Technology and AI will influence consumer behaviour more and more, so understanding the drivers—the unconscious and conscious decision drivers—will help mitigate price hikes to maintain profitability,” he said.
Church’s Texas Chicken has invested heavily in digitalisation to stay ahead, Sinclair said. One of the most significant changes in the industry is the decline of in-store dining in favour of online orders and third-party delivery services, he said, adding that this shift is evident in Asia.
"Consumers are relying less and less on the need to socialise or spend time in a sit-down environment,” he said. “Online ordering, mobile apps, and third-party aggregators are playing a bigger and bigger role in consumer behaviour.”
To stay on top, Church’s Texas Chicken is embracing digital ordering channels and AI-driven customer engagement.
Sinclair will attend the QSR Media Asia Conference on 3 April in Singapore, where he expects to learn more about marketing trends. “I hope to learn how media is adapting to the challenges and where opportunities are being explored to help reshape our media spending and direction.”
