Every food truck experiences sales fluctuations from time to time. Maybe you’re a soup truck in summertime, or hitting a lull in foot traffic due to weather. When sales take an unexpected dive, it’s important not to avoid the issues and hope things eventually level off. Sudden declining food truck sales are usually for a reason.

If you can diagnose the problem, you can usually fix it, saving you lost business. Today we’ll discuss some common causes.

Common Causes For Declining Food Truck Sales

Product, Service Or Staff Issues:

If your food truck sales dip sharply, it could indicate a negative change in food quality, or a problem with a staff member. Inspect every menu item and every service you provide (catering specifically) carefully to look for any problems. Consider putting together a customer satisfaction survey via email or social media to get a more specific read on the situation. Also keep an eye on social media for complaints or feedback.

Bad Online Reviews:

If a food truck in a busy area suddenly loses its lunch rush, head online to review your most recent online reviews on sites like Facebook, Yelp, and Food Truck Reviewz. A few bad reviews can scare away customers. It’s important to address any negative experiences. Correcting problems even if they are after the fact can result in an edited review or better word of mouth about your food truck.

New Locations:

Have you recently changed your food truck’s parking locations, only to find your customers didn’t make the move with you? Change your days or hours of operation? Be sure your customers can find you by announcing any major changes or updates early and often on your website and social media networks.

New Competition:

Is the new food truck in town suddenly attracting your most valuable customers? If declining food truck sales coincides with a grand opening of a competitor, assess what your customers see in the competition, and adapt your menu and business model to stay competitive. Focus on your key benefits and differentiators. This may mean increasing your marketing efforts or offering menu special to remain visible until the novelty of visiting the new truck wears off.

Website Changes:

Did you recently overhaul your food truck website? Check with your most trusted customers to figure out what’s not working for your customers. Slow load times, broken links, and catering or online ordering screens with long, complex checkouts are all commonly to blame.

Seasonal & Culinary Trends:

Sometimes, declining food truck sales may be as simple as a change in the weather. An ice cream vendor may experience a slow season if temperatures are lower than yearly norms. Similarly, if your food truck sales are tied to culinary trends you may see business dry up when consumers move on to the next big thing in the culinary world.

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The Bottom Line

Mobile food business needs to catch up to the world if they want to avoid declining food truck sales. Consumers no longer fit into a single category. The process of maintaining quality food and service, watching online reviews, and creating concepts that don’t rely on weather or trends can remedy today’s challenges and provide competitive advantage against those food trucks which fail to grasp change.

Has your mobile food business ever experienced an unexpected dip in sales? Were you able to diagnose the problem with your declining food truck sales? Share your thoughts in the comment section or on social media. Facebook | Twitter