Online food ordering has definitely transformed the global food market. On-demand food delivery apps can bring customers everything from soup to fast food to Italian at their doorsteps with just a couple of clicks.
Ordering food online has become a new trend that offers a plethora of advantages to users as well as restaurant owners. Aside from that, food delivery app development is also on the rise. Apps like DoorDash, JustEat, Zomato, and Foodpanda are taking over the major market share.
Companies have also been coming up with cutting-edge technology solutions that promise a better customer experience. As per the report from BusinessWire, the global food delivery market will cross the $154.34B mark in 2023. It means this is the best time to take your food delivery business online because major food delivery apps such as Foodpanda, Deliveroo, UberEats are already redefining the industry.
The rapid growth of the food delivery market also opened new doors of opportunities for a new kind of restaurant such as “ghost” and “cloud kitchens” which are new approaches adopted by many food delivery firms.
Growth Of The Online Food Industry
The penetration of the Internet and smartphone has made it easy for entrepreneurs to target consumers. Increasing usage of smartphones is one of the key factors behind the growth of the online food delivery market.
When any business is stepping into the digital world, it expects attractive returns in terms of revenue and customer base. Irrespective of business size and type, everyone is creating their mobile app in order to attract more customers.
Mobile apps indeed play an important role in any online business, including the food delivery market. If you are new to the food delivery market and want to hit the market, investing in a mobile application can be the best step you can ever take. Before discussing the future trend of the food delivery market, let’s have a look at some interesting figures that will shock you.
- Revenue generation from the online food delivery market amounted to $94385m in 2019.
- Revenue is expected to generate an annual growth rate of 10.3% and will cross $134,490m by 2023.
- There has been a constant increase in users who are using online delivery apps at least twice a week.
- It is believed that online food delivery apps are developed with the aim to reduce time and offer comfort to users.
- As per Statista, more than 1.2 billion people use online food delivery apps across the world.
The above figures and trends clearly show that the trend of online food ordering is one of the raging trends, which is increasing rapidly. Probably, this is why more and more restaurants want to build food delivery apps so that they can offer convenience to their customers.
These apps are also solving the major problems by saving their time and delivering the food at their doorstep. In short, online food ordering is a value for money for the users and offers certain advantages such as,
- It takes less time to deliver the food than visiting the restaurant
- You can share reviews and feedback about the delivery provider and the food.
- Consumers also can ask for refunds if there is any problem with food quality or packing.
- Users get monetary perks such as attractive deals on orders in terms of coupons and discounts.
In this blog post, we will not only discuss the food delivery market and its share but also inform you of several trends that will shape the food delivery industry in the coming years.
Trends That Will Redefine The Food Delivery Business
Well-known food delivery players such as Zomato, GrubHub, Doordash, JustEat, etc. are dominating the market. But with the increasing competition, evolving technology trends, and consumer needs, they have to update their system and adopt unique trends in order to meet requirements. So let’s discuss in detail which trend will affect the most and what they have to consider for growth.
1. GenZ Are the Most Active Users Online
As we have said earlier, the penetration of smartphones and the Internet have changed millennials’ lifestyles as now they are looking for quick and smart solutions that save time and offer comfort. As compared to other generations, GenZ spends the majority portion of their income on online food ordering because they like to taste different cuisines. This approach makes them one of the most demographics in the online food delivery market. Due to busy schedules and fast-paced lifestyles, they prefer to order food online rather than cooking.
As per Technomic’s Generational report, GenZ either places a food order online through delivery apps or opts for a takeaway option. Moreover, they are also having high purchasing power because their preference is swift and comfortable service where they can enjoy food without any trouble.
Hence, having an app for your food business could be the best advantage you will ever get as it will help you to make a solid consumer base and grab the attention of the market.
2. Ordering Through New Channels
More than 65% of Americans leave digital orders if they face poor customer experience, and more than 55% of adults want to access user-friendly apps. It means owners have to update their existing platform and allow users to place orders via social media, virtual assistants, smart devices, and so on.
Food Ordering Via Tweet
Well-known pizza delivery chain, Domino’s has captured the social media platform and enabled users to place orders via Tweeting a pizza emoji. Consumers need to create their “pizza profile” on the company’s online delivery service and place an order. Users have to link their accounts with their pizza profiles to proceed further.
Food Ordering Via Smartwatch
Apple and Samsung have adopted a technology-oriented approach and introduced smartwatches. Domino’s also lets people place orders via their smartwatches. It simplifies the overall order process and enables users to place orders quickly through wearable devices.
Food Ordering Via Car
This is another innovative approach that allows the user to place an order in-car. With Accenture’s Visa card, users can order pizza while they are on the way. Visa checkout is integrated into the car’s dashboard so that users can place orders via voice and keep driving.
3. BigData Will Play an Important Role
Big data analysis has emerged as a major role these days. Online delivery apps follow this approach in order to get accurate results provided by users. This increases reliability without any delay.
Information gathered via Big Data helps business owners to judge users’ emotions, delivery time, personalized offers, and much more. With the Big Data approach, food delivery business owners can analyze various data such as:
- Real-time road traffic
- Previous order history
- Customers review on social media
- Comments on the various social media platform
With the help of Big Data technology, food delivery companies can accurately estimate the above data and immediately respond to customers’ query, if it arises.
4. Multi-Delivery Options
Food delivery brands no longer depend on delivery providers as they come up with new and smart delivery options such as delivery via robots, drones, and even parachutes to reduce delivery time and cost.
Delivery via Robots
The evolution of AI and ML technology is on the rise and allows food delivery companies to deliver orders through smart robots. Startups like Yelp and Marble have created custom delivery robots that are made with advanced cameras and 3D maps that help them to decide smart routes. Overall it reduces delivery time and cost.
Delivery via Drones
Drone delivery was first started in San Francisco, USA by the leading eCommerce company, Amazon. After that food delivery player, Zomato also has tested its custom drone delivery technology that reduces delivery time. Drone delivery is specially used to beat heavy traffic in urban areas. Drone delivery assures on-time delivery and reduces operational costs.
5. Ghost Kitchens
The online food delivery market has given birth to many new terms that help business owners to maximize their ROI. Ghost Kitchen is another popular item that enables food delivery business owners to expand their service at a minimal cost.
In simple terms, Ghost Kitchens are restaurants that are not located physically but only exist over the Internet. They accept orders online through websites and apps. There are many business models for ghost kitchens, but the main advantage it offers is one can expand its business with lower operating costs.
Stay Ahead In The Race By Adopting Best Digital Solution
The increasing usage of smartphones and the Internet has changed people’s habits and lifestyles. Online food delivery apps are becoming an indispensable part of our day-to-day lives. And the usage of it will increase more in the future.
As per recent research, restaurants are losing 20% of profits if they lack an online presence. Existing online food delivery apps are adopting the above trends and working round the clock to enhance user experience. This is why food delivery business owners are embracing new trends in their business model.
With the increasing trend for online delivery, there is no doubt that the sales and revenue of restaurants will also increase with so many enticing benefits.
Author bio
Deep Moteria is a serial entrepreneur and blogger who wishes to support the ground transportation industries with his writings. He covers up all the known and unknown facts around the industry and puts them together to create trending articles across different websites. He also includes details on the latest trends, fun facts, business expectations, strategies, and models to follow to achieve success in the transportation sector.