Uncovering the Pricing Tactics Used by Burger King to increase average order value.

Uncovering the Pricing Tactics Used by Burger King to increase average order value.
Arun Patel

Arun Patel

May 16 2023

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My colleague and I noticed clever pricing tactics at Burger King, such as "compare at price", cross-selling, upselling, and charm pricing. These tactics enticed us to buy more than we originally planned.

Yesterday, my colleague and I decided to visit Burger King for lunch. As we walked in, we noticed the brightly lit menu board above the counter. It displayed a wide range of meal options, and we notice the various pricing tactics being used to entice customers.

One tactic that caught our attention was the "compare at price”. We saw a meal option listed at $9.99, with a smaller size option listed at $8.99, but with a compare at price of $10.99. This made the $9.99 meal seem like a bargain in comparison, even though it was only $1 cheaper than the "compare at" price.

The second tactic used was the cross-selling technique. The menu board suggested adding a complete meal with a drink and fries to the order for an additional $3. This made my colleague and me consider including the extras in our order, even though we had not initially planned on getting them.

Next, we encountered an upselling tactic. A meal option was listed for $9.99, but for an additional $3, we could upgrade to a larger size and receive a free drink. This made me seriously consider upgrading my order, despite the extra cost.

Finally, we observed the charm pricing. Certain burger options were priced at $4.99, which appeared to be a very reasonable price. This was because the price was just below the $5 mark, which is a common psychological threshold for customers. The slight price difference made the meal appear more affordable, and my colleague and I were both tempted to order it.

During our meal, my colleague and I discussed the effectiveness of the various pricing power tactics. We agreed that these tactics did indeed increase our average order value and we ended up buying more than we had anticipated.

We not only left feeling super full but also impressed by the clever pricing tactics we observed..

Arun Patel

Author

Arun Patel

Arun Patel previously an e-commerce merchandiser, is passionate about increasing Average Order Value and spends time researching and writing about profitable tactics to increase AOV.