Food items are one of the most important products that drive the markets. They come under essential services, and the way the world is structured today, it is important that food products be distributed to everyone in an efficient manner. Traditionally, sales of food items were done by transporting the items to the local stores in bulk and then being sold. Some stores also prepare the food requested by the customers, but even these use ingredients that have been transported from elsewhere. While such offline stores are still popular, some food items are best bought when they are freshly prepared. This is particularly true for food items that contain lots of perishable ingredients, like dairy products, meat, poultry and fish.
To counter the problems of healthy and effective distribution of food items, online food ordering & delivery services were introduced. These became more popular as supply chain technology caught up to the demands of the public. Since such services also increase business reach, this is a win-win situation for both businesses and consumers. Today, almost 30% of food sales occur from online orders. This figure just keeps on increasing as consumers increasingly prefer this method of ordering food, as it is both easy and convenient. 89% of people also want to research the restaurants they order from, which is significantly easier when they order online.
Benefits of Online Food Ordering & Delivery Services
There are multiple benefits of online ordering & delivery services, some being more visible than others. In this article, we’ll look at the benefits of such services from both the customer and business perspective.
Access to Hundreds of Restaurants
This is one of the main advantages of online food ordering for the customer. Even the people who like to explore the most places are limited severely if they only stick to traditional practices of checking each restaurant. With online ordering, one can check hundreds of restaurants using their laptop or a smartphone. They can also compare prices of similar food items across various restaurants by just browsing the menu. The online food ordering service makes sure customers are always satisfied with what they order.
Avoids Delay Times
Many people in modern times are busy, and online food ordering & delivery services have come as a boon to them. Most online orders have a refund policy if the food is not delivered in a certain amount of time. This assures the customer that their package will arrive in the designated time span. When a consumer decides to buy from local stores, they may face traffic or weather delays, which is handled by the delivery agents who are trained to effectively deliver in such circumstances.
Online Ordering is Open Most Times of the Day
Online orders are almost always open at most times of the day. The delivery agents go to the designated restaurant the customer has picked and deliver the order. Since lots of restaurants are available to choose from, the closing of a few restaurants will not affect the customers. There are also dedicated restaurants that make a large portion of their income from online orders, which help customers who order food at times most restaurants may not be open.
Healthier Delivery Options
The food product may become contaminated if a consumer tries to buy them from an offline store and tries to transport it to their desired location. Some food items inherently become less nutrient-rich if they are stored or handled in a less professional manner. Online delivery takes care of these things by using effective packaging mechanisms which help the food to be fresh until it reaches the customer. Online food ordering & delivery also makes it easier for customers to cancel the order if they come across faulty packaging.
Discounts and Referral Programs
Referral programs and discounts work as a win-win opportunity for both businesses and consumers of the online food delivery services. The restaurants can increase customer loyalty by giving discounts and promoting referral programs on various social media platforms. The customers, on the other hand, can get their favourite food items delivered to their doorstep at a much cheaper rate because of this. The more a customer uses an online food ordering & delivery service, the more coupons they will get promoting the cycle.
Businesses can Reach More Customers
The business can reach customers if it incorporates the online ordering business model. The business will then receive orders that are much higher in number. The business must make sure that they predict how much the orders will increase and prepare for such a service. Such predictions can be done by a little market research. Once set, the business can register on an online delivery service when it will start receiving the orders. This leads to increased revenue and sales of the business.
There is a Lot of Revenue Potential in the Online Market
Many businesses fail to recognize the potential of taking their sales online. The online sales market is expected to grow at 20 per cent every year, and takeout services will see a large increase in revenue. Even for businesses that rely on a third party delivery service, revenue is expected to grow to up to 13 billion US dollars by 2030. All this suggests that there is still a lot of time for businesses to grow by opting for an online food ordering & delivery service model.
Online food delivery services have become even more beneficial due to the ongoing situation of the global pandemic. The disease which developed in late 2019 in China quickly spread around the world. By practicing safe food delivery and using techniques like online payments, the spread of the disease can be stopped.
Conclusion
As you can now understand, shopping for food does not have to be as difficult as it was in the traditional times, thanks to online delivery services. For most customers, Online Food Ordering & Delivery Services helps reduce delays, is healthier and more convenient. Foodrunner is a Canadian online grocery delivery service. It delivers fresh groceries all around the country and does so in less than an hour. Foodrunner works closely with farmers and ensures fresh produce is available from the online store all around the year. This is incredibly beneficial as customers can get their groceries home delivered every day and can save time.
