The food industry is one of the sectors that the Coronavirus pandemic has hit the hardest. Online food sales and deliveries are snowballing. The stakeholders of this industry will now have to respond fast to the new shift, and in a way, they already are.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that food delivery was already seeing some major advancements before the pandemic acted as a catalyst to the entire process. We are now seeing contactless delivery, grocery delivery, and virtual kitchens emerging on the scene. However, five trends might give a complete makeover to the current shape of the food delivery industry. Let’s take a look at them.
Drone Delivery
We can already see the drones in action at events and on various occasions for videos and pictures. The same trend is also going to be a part of the food delivery industry. Companies may not need human labor in the future for delivering food to the doorsteps of the customers. Instead, they can buy drones and manage delivery.
Yes, this is a fascinating trend. However, it is also challenging, as the logistics will be an issue for small, medium, and large businesses. Keep in mind that a drone can only carry so much weight without becoming a danger to those flying over.
Ultra-Light Delivery
Manufactures are considering ultra-light delivery to ease the process for their riders and bikers. They have to look for ultra-light options as a means of transportation to deliver as much food as possible in a single round of delivery. Light packing will allow riders to deliver many orders at the same time, saving restaurants time and additional fuel costs.
Third-party Delivery Services
Third-party delivery services are not new. Many companies and restaurants are already taking advantage of the benefits of these companies to manage their deliveries. Some examples of such services include Foodpanda and UberEats. These are third-party delivery apps used by restaurants and customers for food delivery.
In-house /delivery
Some restaurants don’t find the idea of delivery through third-party companies to be that fascinating and profitable. Therefore, they are taking matters into their own hands. They are building their apps to reach out to their potential customers through them. Only time will tell what things will look like when almost all the restaurants have their delivery apps. With services like Foodpanda increasing their commissions on each delivery, it makes sense if all the restaurants have their delivery apps soon.
Centralized Ordering System
Today, the key to surviving as a business is efficiency. The food delivery companies and restaurants are working on digital transformation, including a centralized ordering system on the cloud. It will help them with real-time data access and tracking of the delivery along with customer profile management.
Bottom Line
Ultimately, if you are in the food delivery business, you need to think ahead of time. You cannot rely on the current system anymore. So, keep looking for the latest trends and update your services accordingly. This will help you create your strategies accordingly. Don’t forget; you can still fail as a business if your product is great, but you don't know the art of adaptation.