11 sales promotions to boost demand

A sales promotion is more than just a discount—it’s a way to influence customer behaviour.

Think of a restaurant offering “Buy one side, get a second free.” That simple incentive can turn a single dish into a full meal, introduce customers to new favourites, and encourage repeat business. Or consider a grocery store running a flash sale across select categories: customers stock up, try new products, and return for more.

Promotions like these help businesses drive immediate sales, increase order size, and stay front of mind with customers.

When used strategically, sales promotions can do more than just boost short-term revenue. They help you tackle real business challenges: moving stock, attracting new customers, and driving repeat sales.

Here are some of the main ways promotions can support your business:

• Drive short-term sales: Limited-time deals encourage customers to act fast, increasing purchases and introducing them to new products.

  
  

• Move inventory efficiently: Targeted promotions help highlight certain items or clear out excess stock, reducing holding costs.

  
  

• Attract new customers: Deals and discounts are a reliable way to bring in new business. A Salsify survey found that 70% of customers have made an unplanned purchase after spotting a discount, showing that even small savings can spark curiosity and prompt action.

  
  

• Strengthen customer loyalty: Regular promotions give people a reason to come back. In a Khoros study, 53% of customers said discounts influence their brand loyalty.

  
  

• Increase visibility: Promotions help your business get noticed and stand out, making it easier for customers to find and choose you.

  
  

• Differentiate from competitors: A well-timed promotion can make your business the obvious choice in a crowded market.

  
  

• Boost average order value: Promotions open up opportunities for cross-selling and upselling, encouraging customers to buy more.

  
  

• Revive interest in products: There’s a reason McDonald’s has retired and brought back the McRib dozens of times over the years, and why Oreo recently brought back its much-loved “S’moreo” flavour for a limited time. Limited-time offers can reignite interest in older or special items, sparking excitement and sales.

  
  

• Experiment and learn: Promotions show what motivates customers, so you can tweak your products, pricing, and offers for better results.

Looking for easy ways to boost sales and keep customers coming back? The key is picking promotions that suit your goals and align with how your customers shop.

Here are 11 types of promotions you can try out across different channels. While these strategies work in various industries, they’re especially effective for restaurants, retail businesses, and grocery stores. Many of these offers can be launched directly through Uber Eats in-app marketing tools, and they’ve been shown to lift orders by 23% and sales by 15%.

A BOGO promotion lets customers buy one item and get another free or at a discount. You can get creative with the structure—try “Buy X, get X free” or “Buy X, get a discounted item” to suit your menu, product range, or stock goals.

Many businesses use BOGO offers to encourage customers to try new items, shop during quieter times, or buy more than they usually would.

For example, a sandwich shop might offer a “buy 1 sandwich, get 1 free” deal from 2–5pm to boost traffic during the quiet period between lunch and dinner. Or a makeup retailer could offer a free lipstick sample with a regular purchase, encouraging customers to try the product and come back for more.

You can run BOGO promotions across multiple channels—through your website, in-store, and on delivery apps—to create a consistent brand experience for customers.

On Uber Eats, it’s easy to set up BOGO offers through the Marketing tab in your Uber Eats Manager dashboard.

Bundling, or “bundle and save” promotions, group products or services together at a reduced price compared with buying each item separately. This strategy encourages customers to buy more by highlighting the value and convenience of purchasing a set of complementary items.

For example, a restaurant might offer a meal bundle that includes a main, a side, and a drink at a discounted price, while a supermarket could bundle pasta, sauce, and cheese. Offers like these can increase order size by making it easier and more appealing for customers to add extra items to their purchase.

Coupons have been around for more than a century—Coca-Cola is credited with distributing the first in the US around 1887, eventually redeeming 8.5 million by 1913.

These days, most customers prefer a digital version: in a recent study, 57% of consumers said they favour digital coupons over physical ones. Digital coupons work just like traditional ones, offering a barcode or promo code customers can redeem for discounts, free delivery, or other perks. For example, new customers might receive a code like “FIRSTTIMER” via email to save on their first delivery order.

Coupons are a powerful tool for brands across industries. They can help attract new customers and encourage repeat business if you offer them often enough.

For example, Walgreens uses digital coupons to drive engagement. Customers sign in to their online account to browse available coupons, inspiring new and repeat purchases.

Delivery fees can sometimes make customers think twice at checkout. In an Uber Eats survey, 81% of consumers said that when they’re spending a lot on items, they don’t expect to pay extra for express delivery.

One way to tackle this is by offering free delivery. If that’s not possible, you can still make things easier by keeping delivery costs predictable. For example, Uber One members get $0 delivery on eligible orders. Merchants can choose to opt into Uber One, gaining more visibility and access to high-frequency customers.

Many businesses also choose to offer free delivery on orders over a certain amount, letting the sale cover the cost. Promotions like these can help boost conversions and encourage bigger purchases.

Everyone loves a freebie. You can attract new customers and encourage bigger purchases by offering a “free item with a purchase” or “free item with a minimum order size” deal.

For example, a perfume retailer might offer a complimentary sample of a popular scent when customers spend $100 or more, giving customers an incentive to reach a certain spend threshold. Or a restaurant might offer a free dessert with a meal purchase, giving customers a taste of something new while increasing the average order size.

Some businesses keep customers coming back time and time again—not just because of what they sell, but because they reward loyalty. Programs that offer perks, points, or exclusive benefits give people a reason to return.

Take Starbucks Rewards: members earn stars on every purchase, which can be redeemed for free food and drinks. They also get perks like birthday treats, personalised offers that encourage bigger spends, and the convenience of mobile ordering and in-app payments.

For businesses, the real value of a loyalty program like Starbucks Rewards is in the results.

Research shows that Starbucks Rewards has averaged 16% year-on-year growth and that rewards members are 5.6 times more likely to visit Starbucks daily than non-members. The program also drives retention: 44% of Starbucks Rewards members return regularly, which is 19% higher than the industry average.

With Uber Eats, you can create your own loyalty program in Uber Eats Manager. Offer rewards when customers spend a certain amount or order a set number of times, helping turn occasional buyers into regulars.

Offering discounts on specific items or categories is a great way to highlight what’s new, drive demand for seasonal favourites (like pumpkin spice lattes in autumn), or encourage customers to try slower-moving items.

Many restaurants run “Save on Select Items” offers on Uber Eats, giving customers discounts on dishes they’d like to move faster. This can be a particularly effective way to handle surplus ingredients or spark interest in higher-value items.

Retailers often find success with this strategy, too. On Uber Eats, Petco breaks savings into categories like Cat, Dog, Fish, and Reptile. Dog owners, for example, can browse the Dog category to see discounted items for their pets. Offers like these make it easy for customers to spot deals that matter to them while encouraging larger orders.

A “spend more, save more” promotion encourages customers to buy a certain quantity or spend a set amount to unlock savings.

For example, a grocery store could use this strategy on Uber Eats by creating offers like “Buy 2, Save $2.50” on strawberries—a smart move for products with a short shelf life. Likewise, a restaurant might offer a “Spend $25, Save $5” deal, encouraging customers to try new items and buy more than they might have originally planned.

Offers like these make it easy to help move stock while increasing order size and giving customers a clear reason to spend more.

Rebates or cash back offers are a clever take on traditional discounts that encourage repeat business. Instead of getting a discount straight away, customers earn a portion of what they spend back as store credit or points—much like how credit cards reward users.

Thrive Market uses this method with the Thrive Cash program on its website and app. Customers earn Thrive Cash by referring mates, reviewing products, or buying select brands. The cash they've earned is automatically applied to their next purchase, encouraging them to come back. With an expiry date and redemption limited to merchandise, Thrive Cash also creates a sense of urgency, motivating customers to shop again before their rewards run out.

Storewide sales give customers a discount—either a percentage off or a set dollar amount—across a wide range of products.

Common examples include holiday sales, end-of-season discounts, anniversary events, back-to-school promotions, friends-and-family deals, and flash sales. These sales are usually limited in duration and feature significant discounts.

Some businesses also offer special discounts for specific groups, like seniors, students, or military personnel, showing appreciation while catering to different customer needs.

On Uber Eats, businesses can run digital storewide discounts, such as a percentage off an entire order once a customer reaches a specific spending threshold. For example, your restaurant might try offering 20% off orders of $35 or more.

When you think of happy hour, you probably picture discounted drinks at your favourite spot after work. But it’s not just for pubs—any business can offer time-limited deals during quieter periods to boost demand.

Deals like these work because they encourage people to come in during off-peak hours—for example, the time between lunch and dinner—turning slower periods into chances for extra sales. They also create urgency: customers know the deal won’t last all day, so they’re more likely to act quickly.

On Uber Eats, you can set discounts on selected items during a specific window, like 2–5pm on weekdays. These happy hour offers help you bring in business when things are quieter while protecting your margins during peak times.