Wagamama case study: capitalizing on the growing appeal of Japanese style casual dining

Published by: Datamonitor

Published: Jul. 25, 2008 - 258 Pages

Table of Contents

DATAMONITOR VIEW

CATALYST

SUMMARY

ANALYSIS

Wagamama is fast becoming a global brand

Wagamama is the most popular noodle restaurant in the UK

It is spreading globally, with sites located in the US, Europe and Asia

Wagamama has been named a UK Superbrand, acknowledging its category-leading status

The company's outlets have a novel layout that emphasize their casual-dining approach

Although inspired by traditional Japanese cooking, the restaurants are designed to have a modern look

Seating is canteen style, an informal approach that is designed to attract a wide range of customers and meal occasions

Wagamama has open kitchens, while orders are taken via handheld PCs to speed up service

Wagamama is family friendly, with children well catered for in its outlets

Its London sites serve breakfast, breaking its Asian food mold by having English breakfasts on the menu

Company marketing is non-traditional in its approach

The company relies on word-of-mouth marketing on the whole, carrying out no traditional-style marketing

However, Wagamama utilizes online marketing to good effect

Its website is updated regularly and includes local variations for its regional outlets

Customers are encouraged to become online members to receive newsletters, games and member offers

Wagamama branded products have been introduced at retail stores, to help build the brand

An at-home sauce range was introduced in 2006 for sale in grocery stores

The company has introduced two cookbooks, which enable customers to recreate its dishes at-home

Wagamama branded kitchen utensils are also available to buy

Future growth potential lies at home and abroad

Wagamama has good potential for growth in both the UK and abroad, in both foodservice and retail.

The company is heavily London-focused, so could expand more throughout the UK

There is potential to expand in the US, where a trial period is ongoing

It could also generate further growth in retail channels by developing more sauce varieties

Although expanding fast, future growth could be hindered by Wagamama's recent failure to gain public listing

APPENDIX

APPENDIX

Case study series

Methodology

Secondary sources

Further reading

Ask the analyst

Datamonitor consulting

Disclaimer

List of Figures

Figure 1: Wagamama has been successful in its casual approach to dining

Figure 2: Wagamama's website include localized pages for each of its UK locations

Figure 3: Wagamama now produces a range of merchandise, including cooking sauces, cookery books and woks

Abstract

• Gain insight into the methods used by important industry players to give them a competitive edge
• Identify specific areas for operational improvements
• Capitalize on the knowledge of experienced companies when entering a new niche or market

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