Season

Reviving the onboard dining experience

Project Brief

As passenger preferences shift towards comfortable and flexible mobility solutions, affordability becomes paramount. Introducing Season, a digital solution revolutionizing on-train food services by offering passengers an affordable, on-demand selection of food and beverages. This innovative approach presents an opportunity to recapture lost market share while prioritizing availability, sustainability, and profitability.

Client

Flixtrain

Year

2021

Sector

Mobility

Services

Product + Innovation

Digital + Services

Branding + Communication

Business + Strategy

Meeting the needs of modern passengers

The central location of the restaurant carriage often leads to inconveniences for passengers seated further away. Moreover, stringent regulations in the food industry frequently result in service disruptions or even complete closure of the restaurant.

Consequently, passengers have adjusted their travel habits by pre-planning and purchasing food from less expensive options at stations. This under-utilization of food and beverage infrastructure not only occupies valuable onboard seating but also imposes financial strains on operators, outweighing potential profits.

Season's fresh on-board options

Train station food services excel in offering fresh, budget-friendly food options for travelers on the go. However, traditional on-train services are often pricier and time-consuming. Season introduces a novel solution with its hybrid vending machines, bridging the gap between convenience and affordability. These machines provide an array of fresh goods instantly, at accessible price points.

Integrated digital components enhance the experience further. Season's vending compartment is equipped with a cooling system to preserve freshness, while the beverage options utilize a filtered water dispenser capable of carbonation and heating. This synergy between vending machine items and versatile water-based offerings makes Season's food and beverage portfolio highly adaptable and accommodating.

Strategic F&B demand prediction

Operators can utilize predictive technology to forecast F&B customer numbers. Season's app users receive priority seating near hybrid vending machines through pre-ordering. Smart algorithms also position potential on-demand customers close to the F&B area. Simulation of this approach demonstrates that Season's operational space is notably more profitable than comparable seating-only options.

Driving sustainability and growth with Season

Season is engineered with circularity in mind. True to its name, the menu rotates seasonally, promoting local ingredient sourcing based on availability. Customers are incentivized to return smart, reusable packaging through an on-board deposit system. Upon return, the packaging is automatically identified to initiate the digital refund process.

Each operator has unique F&B service requirements. With Season's digital and modular approach, the system can be tailored to fit the operator's specific business model or fleet. The service can scale by deploying hybrid vending machines at stations or by integrating external partners for on-demand delivery to the train.