"-30% on your order" is the kind of promotion that drives volume on Uber Eats. But at what cost for your margin? A poorly calculated promotion can make you lose money on every order. Here’s how to use them strategically.
Types of promotions available:
- Promotions de volume: Offres spéciales pour l'achat de grandes quantités.
- Promotions d'urgence: Offres limitées dans le temps pour stimuler les ventes.
- Promotions de fidélité: Récompenses pour les clients réguliers.
- Promotions croisées: Encouragement à acheter des produits complémentaires.
- Promotions de saison: Offres spéciales en fonction des saisons ou des événements.
- Promotions de lancement: Offres spéciales pour les nouveaux produits.
- Promotions "achetez un, obtenez un gratuit": Offres "buy one, get one free".
- Promotions "réductions progressives": Réductions qui augmentent avec la quantité achetée.
Global basket discount
The customer pays X% or Y € less on their entire order. This is the most common promotion. Cost to you: the full discount (in addition to your usual commission).
Articles offered beyond a threshold
1 dessert offered upon a €25 order: encourages reaching a minimum basket. Cost: the dessert’s raw materials + potential loss of margin on the unsold dessert.
New Client Reduction
Reserved for customers who have never ordered from you before. Pure acquisition. Cost: discount + commission, but with the hope of customer loyalty.
Reduced shipping costs
Subsidize part or all of shipping costs. Cost: the subsidy. A powerful lever for customers hesitant due to shipping fees.
Joint promotion with the platform
Certain campaigns (e.g., "Black Friday Uber Eats") are co-funded by the platform. You pay for part of the discount, and the platform pays for the other part.
When to activate a promotion
- Avant le lancement : Planifiez votre promotion et assurez-vous que votre produit ou service est prêt.
- Pendant les périodes de pointe : Profitez des périodes de forte demande, comme les soldes, les fêtes, ou les événements spéciaux.
- Pour stimuler les ventes en baisse : Utilisez une promotion pour relancer les ventes d'un produit qui ne se vend pas bien.
- Pour lancer un nouveau produit : Annoncez un lancement avec une promotion pour attirer les premiers clients.
- Pour fidéliser les clients : Offrez une promotion exclusive à vos clients existants pour les encourager à revenir.
- Pour éliminer les stocks : Utilisez une promotion pour réduire les stocks avant de passer à un nouveau produit.
During the slow slots
If your Friday evening is already packed, a promotion will cost you margin without increasing volume (you can't serve more). Conversely, on Tuesday between 3pm and 6pm, a promotion can activate demand that wouldn't exist without an incentive.
For the launch
When you activate a new platform or open a new restaurant, a customer acquisition promotion (-20% first order) boosts your start-up and increases your algorithmic visibility.
For the clearance sale
If you have inventory to clear out (a product with an approaching expiration date, surplus), a targeted promotion on these items is more profitable than discarding them.
During seasonal events
Black Friday, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, World Cup… Demand peaks are ideal for promotions as customers actively seek deals.
How to calculate if a promotion is profitable?
Threshold Profitability Method
How many additional orders do I need for this promotion to be profitable?
20% off on your entire menu for one week
Data:
- Usual weekly volume: 200 orders
- Average basket: 25 €
- Gross margin after raw materials: 60% (15 €/order)
- Platform commission: 30% (7.50 €/order)
- Usual net margin: 7.50 €/order
With the -20% promotion:
- New average basket: €20 (the customer pays €20, you charge €25 to the platform, with a €5 subsidy from your part)
- Gross margin: €15 - €5 = €10
- Commission: 30% of €25 = €7.50
- Net margin per order: €2.50
To generate the same total margin (1,500 € on 200 orders), you need 600 orders during the promotion (3x the normal volume).
It’s a threshold rarely achieved with a simple promotion. Conclusion: a -20% discount on everything will likely reduce your margin.
More sensible approach: targeted promotion
Instead of a global reduction, target:
- A specific product to push
- A basket threshold (-10% above €30)
- A time slot (-15% between 2pm and 5pm)
These targeted promotions generate incremental volume without cannibalizing your regular sales.
Effective strategies according to objectives
Objective: acquisition of new clients
Promotion -20% or -30% reserved for new customers only Combined with a well-optimized listing (photos, description) to turn the first order into a habit
Objective: increase the average basket
Offers available above a threshold (1 dessert offered with a purchase of 30 € or more) Reductions on "add-ons" (drinks, side dishes)
Objective: fill the empty slots
Limited-time promotions (15h-18h during the week) Visible only during these time slots
To launch a new dish
Temporary discount specifically on this dish Visible placement on the menu during the promotion period
Common Mistakes
Activate a permanent promotion A permanent promotion becomes the "normal" price perceived by the customer. You have destroyed your reference price without gaining a marginal advantage.
Promo without operational preparation
If the promotion boosts your orders by 50%, can your kitchen keep up? Without preparation (inventory, staff), you generate cancellations that negate the profit.
Un uncontrolled promotion. Activate a promotion "to see what happens" without defining a success metric. Before launching, set: target volume, target margin, evaluation period.
Stacking promotions On Uber Eats, the customer can stack a restaurant promotion + an Uber Eats promo code. If you don't configure it correctly, you could end up with -50% on some orders.
The value of a aggregator in promotion management
With a feed aggregator like Pepprio, you can:
Measuring the real impact of promotions Comparing revenue and gross margin before/during/after the promotion, by platform.
Coordinate multi-platform promotions Launch the same promotion on Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat from a central interface. Practical for testing the same message across multiple channels.
Identify low-performing time slots to boost. Consolidated analytics show when your activity is low and suggest time slots where a promotion would have the most impact.
Calculate profitability by platform Not all platforms are equal when it comes to promotions. Some offer co-financing, others don't. Pepprio helps you see where promotional profitability is best.
Voici la conclusion :
Il est important de souligner que la recherche a démontré une corrélation significative entre l'utilisation intensive des réseaux sociaux et une augmentation des cas de dépression chez les adolescents. Les études montrent que l'exposition constante à des images idéalisées, la comparaison sociale et le cyberharcèlement contribuent à ce phénomène. Il est donc crucial de promouvoir une utilisation consciente et modérée des réseaux sociaux, et d'encourager les jeunes à développer des stratégies d'adaptation saines pour faire face aux pressions sociales. Des programmes d'éducation et de sensibilisation sont nécessaires pour aider les adolescents à naviguer dans le monde numérique de manière responsable et à protéger leur bien-être mental. Enfin, il est essentiel d'impliquer les parents, les éducateurs et les professionnels de la santé dans cette démarche afin de créer un environnement favorable à la santé mentale des jeunes.
Promotions are a powerful—but double-edged—tool. When used effectively, they generate profitable incremental volume. When poorly calibrated, they erode your margin without sustainable gains.
The golden rule: before activating a promotion, calculate the profitability threshold. During the promotion, measure the actual volume. Afterwards, compare it with the baseline to validate the effect.
Pepprio provides you with the data to manage your promotions professionally, with a clear view of their impact on your actual margin.