Food delivery services are simply amazing, as they deliver food directly to your doorstep without much effort.
Before the smartphone explosion, people would have to call a restaurant to order food. Now, thanks to advances in mobile technology and the wide development of on-demand food delivery apps, we can quickly and easily place orders via the app and have our food delivered wherever and whenever we wish.
All you have to do is pull out your smartphone and find the best apps for ordering food around your area.
Each food app has many restaurants and cafés and places to choose from. And what makes them so easy to use is that you can just order food from these joints and eat from the comfort of your own home.
And if you thought food delivery was big in 2020, just wait for the future, thanks to a combination of food delivery trends coming together to create a perfect storm for growth.
The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the shift from eating out to eating at home. Then there is the rise of e-commerce and the growing popularity of subscription food services.
Add in the fact that more and more people are living in cities and working long hours, food delivery has become increasingly popular.
So what trends are set to rule the future of the food delivery industry? We did our research and below are some of the hot trends that will change the future of the food delivery industry.
1. Delivery of grocery items
This is unavoidable. This has to happen, now or later. Customers want more and more convenience. Everything should be at their fingertips.
The pandemic and stay-at-home orders have fuelled this. Global giants and multinational corporations entering into this space show how big of a trend this is. This trend is subject to growth, and we shall see many more online grocery stores opening soon.
2. 24/7 delivery services
Late-night cravings are a thing and due to that, twenty-four-seven food delivery services will soon be part of every food delivery business.
3. Ghost kitchens
Ghost kitchens, also often referred to as “cloud” kitchens, are a relatively new phenomenon that is building off the success of fast food delivery services.
Put simply, a ghost kitchen is a stand-alone kitchen unit that prepares food to be sold under various brands on delivery apps.
Ghost kitchens have no seating capacity for in-house diners or walk-ins, as they focus only on delivery, preparing food once an order comes in through a delivery app or an online ordering system.
Once the meal is ready, delivery drivers collect it for delivery. Some dark kitchens also offer takeaway, letting customers pick up their food themselves.
4. Gourmet expert-driven brands and fine eating takeaway
Gourmet specialists and brand-driven food have been on the rise. However, large numbers of these eateries have generally done little takeaway or delivery.
However, buyer interest in marked top-notch food will proceed, yet so will their craving for takeaway and delivery.
From the better-quality cafés and bistro administrators’ perspective, this shift will make them work rapidly to grow their takeaway and delivery menus, bundling, and administrations.
5. Competition between third-party and in-house delivery will Increase
Over the past few years, there has been a steep rise in the number of third-party delivery services, and according to experts, this has undoubtedly disrupted the food delivery space.
However, with the arrival of several full-service restaurants, the popularity of third-party delivery services has somewhat decreased in some places.
Many restaurants and food joints, nowadays, are opting for their in-house delivery service to compete with the popular third-party delivery services.
6. Pick-up in store
Not everyone wants to eat inside a restaurant. Equally, not everyone wants to call from home. Some want to order takeaway, pick their order up on the way home, and then enjoy it.
Pick-up in-store is a concept that also experienced accelerated growth during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, as it was the only way most restaurants could do business.
So far there are no signs that customers will turn away from the order online and pick it up at the store concept.
7. Multiple orders from different stores in one delivery
This feature is relatively new to on-demand services. Not so long ago, it seemed complicated or impossible to collect meals from different restaurants and stores for the same delivery unit. It might save money and time.
Through some of the food delivery apps, it is possible to place an order with a single restaurant service and start a new one to get items from another place.
8. Meal kit delivery
Customers with busy lifestyles are looking for convenient and easy-to-prepare meal options as cost-effective solutions to dining out or ordering in.
Meal delivery services have been around for quite some time. These businesses target people who don’t have the time for making food at home but don’t want to depend on takeaway food. It’s no secret that restaurant food isn’t good for your health.
It comes loaded with unhealthy fats and lacks nutritional value. Other alternatives, such as packaged food, come loaded with harmful chemicals.
Meal delivery companies source high-quality ingredients so that you can make nutritionally rich food. These businesses offer an ideal solution for diet-conscious people who find home cooking difficult.
As this trend continues to grapple with issues like plastic waste, it will be interesting to see what unique food options and offers these businesses create to gain market share.
