Domino's, the widely popular pizza chain with more than 6,000 stores in the United States, gives customers $3 coupons if they pick up their online pizza orders themselves.
The famous brand has implemented a process where people who make a carryout order of $5 or more before tax and gratuity through May 22 will get a $3 coupon that they can use the following week. The Ann Arbor, Michigan-based pizza chain is among the businesses struggling with labor shortages amid the coronavirus pandemic.
$3 Domino Coupon
During the third quarter of 2021, which ended on Sept. 12, Domino's faced labor challenges due to the health crisis' economic impacts. One of the main problems they faced was an insufficient number of drivers. Domino's CEO and President Richard Allison announced the news in October during the company's earnings call.
The company that drives more than 6,000 stores across the U.S. has always relied on its strong carryout business. In a recent investor conference, USA Today reported that Allison said customer carryouts account for roughly a third of Domino's sales.
While the pizza chain was facing a shortage of drivers, officials said that the campaign's primary objective was to incentivize customers who choose to make carryout orders. Domino's executive president and chief marketing officer, Art D'Elia, said in a news release that drivers needed the skill to deliver pizzas from the store to the customers' doorsteps.
He said that this meant that if a customer could physically go to the store and pick up their orders, the company would tip them $3 to act as their own delivery driver. The campaign allows carryout customers who order online to claim a maximum of one $3 tip every day.
Domino's new campaign also comes ahead of the Super Bowl, an event where the pizza chain typically sells at least two million pizzas. In an email, the company said that its restaurants were in the process of hiring more drivers to handle increased demand, as per CBS News.
Labor Shortage
During the Monday announcement, Domino's did not mention a nationwide labor shortage across its stores. However, officials mentioned that the company was receiving fewer orders because of staffing issues amid the coronavirus pandemic. It called the situation "very challenging."
Allison said that company officials believed that the challenges they were facing posed a much more significant issue on orders and sales during the third quarter than they did during the first half of the year, Detroit Free Press reported.
The pizza chain also launched a similar campaign last year when they bought $50 gift cards from participating stores in an attempt to help small businesses. Domino's randomly distributed the coupons to delivery customers to allow them to order directly from the stores and avoid delivery app fees.
Throughout early November 2021, participating Domino's stores have given away more than $100,000 worth of gift cards to about 2,600 customers. Participating branches include stores in Greater Boston, Phoenix, Denver, Louisville, Kentucky, and Laredo, Texas, as per AdAge.
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