Last updated:
Discounts cut both ways: they can bring new customers and extra sales, or eat your profit and teach customers to buy only on sale. The difference is in the maths and the timing.
This guide explains how to run offers that actually earn, with examples in Egyptian pounds.
1. Know the difference between a discount and a loss
The real loss is not selling for less; it is selling below the item’s cost, or giving a discount to a customer who would have paid full price.
Example: an item sells for EGP 150 and costs 60. At 40% off it sells for 90 and earns 30 per piece. If that item would otherwise have gone unsold, every piece sold is extra profit.
2. Pick the right items for the offer
Not every item should be discounted. Start with items where the offer earns more than it costs.
- High-margin items.
- Slow-moving items or items close to their best-before date.
- Items made daily with stock ready during quiet hours.
- A new item you want people to try.
3. Set the quantity and the time
An offer with a limited quantity in set hours protects the value of your product and tells the customer the chance will not last. It also stops the discount from eating your normal sales.
4. The price that convinces
A tiny discount moves nobody, and a huge one makes people doubt the quality. In practice, 30% to 50% off during quiet hours is usually noticeable and sensible. Show the original price and the discounted price side by side.
5. Do not train customers to expect a permanent discount
If a discount is always on, it becomes the real price in the customer’s mind. Tie offers to hours, days or quantities, and keep the rest of your menu at its normal price.
On the Lucky Hours app this is built in: you set the price, the quantity and the pickup time, the offer shows only when you want it to, and with a minimum of 30% off so every deal is real. Listing deals is free, with a 10% commission only on deals that sell.
6. Measure and adjust
After two weeks, look at the numbers: how many offer items sold? How many new customers came? How many came back and paid full price? If the offer brings back returning customers, it earns even when the margin per piece is small.
- Offer items sold.
- Real profit after cost and discount.
- New customers and returning customers.
Frequently asked questions
How big a discount should I give?
During quiet hours, 30% to 50% off is usually noticeable and sensible, as long as the discounted price stays above the item’s cost.
How do I know an offer is profitable?
Work out the profit per piece after the discount (discounted price minus cost), multiply by the extra pieces sold, and track how many customers come back.
Will discounts stop people buying at full price?
If the discount is permanent and unlimited, it can. Keep it to set hours and quantities, with the rest of the menu at its normal price.
Why post offers on Lucky Hours?
You set the price, quantity and pickup time, the offer reaches people looking for deals near you, listing is free and the commission is 10% only on what sells.