The delivery service is gradually turning into a highly competitive market. With an increasing demand for food delivery platforms, customers can get their favorite cuisines to their doorstep. Food delivery services are a savior on days when we are unable to cook full-fledged meals or when there are sudden guests at home.
Home delivery of food and groceries is relatively modern, as we can get them delivered to our home or office within a few clicks. It is extremely convenient and fast, and we can even receive our orders without having any cash, thanks to the highly secured and quick online payment modes. This article will discuss the latest food delivery trends and the benefits of using an online food ordering app.
The Current Trends of Food Home Delivery
With continuous growth and development in the past few years, food delivery services have come a long way. The trend of receiving our preferred dishes at our doorstep by ordering on a smartphone app is relatively new.
The scenario was quite different a few decades back. Wars, shifting forms of work and labor, and technological advances have contributed to the evolutionary changes brought about in online food ordering practices. We can date back the first-ever recorded food ordering example to 1889, which took place in the Italian city of Naples.
Flash-forward to today; in the past decade, we have seen a higher number of diners ordering food for home delivery or takeaways. However, it was not until the pandemic that boosted this trend, thus doubling up the market of food delivery apps. During the pandemic days, people were forced to stay back indoors to break the virus chain. As a result, ordering food and groceries to their addresses was their only option.
Even though the peak of online food home delivery has been normalized, the craze is still there. Let’s understand this with facts. According to food delivery statistics, over 112 million Americans have admitted they have used some food delivery service. Currently, the online food delivery market is reported to generate over $26.5 billion. The numbers are projected to hit $32 billion by 2024.
Looking at these facts and figures, one thing is clear. Online food delivery businesses are here to stay in the upcoming few years. Now, let’s discuss the food ordering trends existing today.
1. A Rise in Third-Party Food Delivery Services
Third-party food delivery apps are popular these days, even more than in-house food ordering platforms. Most key restaurants and cloud kitchens rely heavily on third-party food delivery management services, like Swiggy. Except for a few major restaurant chains that have built a brand and developed their own food ordering solutions, most restaurant businesses deliver different cuisines through third-party home delivery apps.
The biggest advantage of third-party apps is customers get to choose from a range of cuisines and restaurants. With the rise in restaurant chains every month, the third-party delivery market will continue to grow and evolve. To cater to the rising demand, these apps are expanding their operating hours. Thus, we get to avail the much-needed services like late-night food delivery. It is a savior for working professionals who return home late at night.
What’s more, these apps have a ready and established customer base. People use these apps regularly or occasionally, thus forming a large market size. So, restaurants can take advantage of this and promote their products and services with minimum investment.
2. Ghost Restaurants are Increasing
Food delivery has such a major impact on the food delivery sector and the overall restaurant industry that it has inspired the growth of a whole new restaurant category: ghost restaurants. Ghost restaurants refer to those that provide food to their customers only through delivery. They don’t have any physical restaurant locations where customers can sit and eat. In short, unlike traditional restaurants, ghost restaurants don’t have a dine-in option.
Cloud kitchens, commercial kitchens, virtual kitchens, and the like are typical examples of ghost restaurants. They focus only on food preparation, maintaining the quality of the dishes served, and fulfilling orders received through online food delivery apps, rather than providing dine-in experiences. By enabling foodies to get their favorite meals fast and easy, these ghost restaurants can cut operational costs in space, interior decor, rent, and labor.
3. Demand for Groceries is Higher than Food Orders
In recent years, especially after the pandemic, there is a high demand for online grocery shopping through these food delivery platforms. Nowadays, some food delivery apps provide instant delivery services for groceries, pantries, and other home essentials.
Online grocery ordering is the most preferred option for those who hardly get much time rushing to the grocers after a busy workday. They would rather select their required items on the app, place the order, and receive the products on their doorstep within minutes.
These stay-at-home grocery orders are more convenient than spending hours at the brick-and-mortar grocery store. Grocery shopping takes time, especially during peak hours, as it involves searching for the desired products from among the maze of items and standing in a never-ending queue at the checkout.
4. Contactless Delivery
After the COVID-19 pandemic, people are more cautious about their health. To maintain social distancing, customers and drivers prefer contactless delivery practices because it can prevent them from contracting the virus from physical contact. In the pandemic era, this was a necessity, and the trend continues even today. Besides, it is the safest food delivery option.
Benefits of Online Food Delivery
Here are some excellent advantages of using online food delivery services.
5. Cost-Effective
The food delivery platforms are cost-efficient as they help customers save money and time. It would have cost you more if you had gone out dining. You don’t need to travel to a restaurant and wait in queues to get a table. While online food delivery reduces travel experiences, it also provides many special offers and discount coupons, which can let you save big on your total bill.
6. Offers Greater Variety
Online food delivery apps offer endless food variety choices from different cuisine categories and eateries or kitchens. You can use the filter option or search bar to look for a specific dish or restaurant. Or, you can choose from different food categories to simplify your cuisine searches. Alternatively, you can opt for healthier options, such as low-fat or low-carb meals, by filtering out the results or selecting a separate Healthy Foods category.
7. Simple and Safe Payment Modes
The modern-day food ordering platforms offer smart, simple, and safe payment methods, including UPI, e-wallets, online debit/credit card payments, net banking, third-party payment apps, etc. And if you are not so tech-savvy, you can also opt for the COD (cash on delivery) option.
8. Easy to Use and Access
To use a food delivery app, you need a smartphone or tablet, where you need to install your preferred food ordering app. You don’t need to find an ordering number, call on it, go through several pre-recorded messages and automated IVRs, etc. It delays the entire process. Instead, you can skip all these unnecessary, time-consuming steps by installing the food delivery app and placing a quick order for your favorite dish.
Final Words
To conclude, home delivery services are on the rise and are extremely trendy. A majority of us have used these platforms at least once in our lives. Be it for a house party, unplanned guest arrivals, or having a long, tiresome day, food home delivery platforms are always at our rescue!
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