Online delivery trends that will drive the future in 2022 and beyond
21 Nov 2022
As you may know, the COVID-19 situation made an indelible impact on food deliveries as millions relied on it, some even for the first time. In Singapore alone, nearly 2.5 million people used online food delivery in Singapore 300K more than in 2020. The situation seems just as promising across the world, with several countries clocking unprecedented numbers. Hence, the global industry is expected to grow exponentially over the next few years resulting in an estimated growth of $155 billion by 2023, which is more than triple what was assessed in 2017.
As you may know, the COVID-19 situation made an indelible impact on food deliveries as millions relied on it, some even for the first time. In Singapore alone, nearly 2.5 million people used online food delivery in Singapore 300K more than in 2020. The situation seems just as promising across the world, with several countries clocking unprecedented numbers. Hence, the global industry is expected to grow exponentially over the next few years resulting in an estimated growth of $155 billion by 2023, which is more than triple what was assessed in 2017.
Pros and cons of online food delivery
Now in case you're wondering not everything is rosy in the world of online delivery. There are constantly new threats unexpected disruptions, and surging customer demands. So, let's quickly look at the pros and cons of online order
PROS
- Caters to the digital-first mindset of Millennial and Gen-Z especially those who prefer staying home.
- Ensures that customers can better manage their time and plan their day more precisely.
- Creates excitement as you get a huge variety of food options and all the time in the world to decide.
- Feels safer as there is less exposure to bacteria and germs.
CONS
- Doesn't always guarantee quality and even if something's really wrong, it isn't easy to get it replaced.
- Ends up being more expensive with the delivery charges and discounts are always merely compensation for something else gone/going wrong.
- Lacks the freshness of cooking as you're not in control of the ingredients that are used to make the dish.
- Lacks the personal touch of having the service staff catering to your unique tastes and preferences.
Top online food delivery trends in recent years and the future
Now, let's get into the newest and hottest online food delivery trends!
Increasingly contactless food delivery
Making drop-offs without directly engaging people seems to be the future of online food delivery. It's no surprise, as this has been the case in many other industry segments in the post-COVID-19 world. Furthermore, drone technology has gone from a buzzword to a realistic option for hotels and restaurants to deliver food. Has the technology become mature enough? Well, the market thinks so. Leading industry reports say that the world's delivery drones market is predicted to soar from $2 billion in 2020 to $5.6 billion by 2026.
Multi-delivery channel engagement
Being online doesn't mean desktop devices or specific mobile apps anymore. Nowadays, customers want help in ordering wherever they already are. So, restaurants will soon be pressurized to offer online ordering options through smart TVs, videogame consoles, car systems, smart watches, or even Twitter
More personalization with big data
With the advancements in data analytics, hotels and restaurants have a larger scope to personalize the online delivery experience. Every time a customer places an order, they leave behind valuable information about their preferences. Hence, when driven by AI & ML workflows, the online delivery system becomes smarter and more institutive to user expectations.
The emergence of ghost kitchens
For the past two years, ghost kitchens have unexpectedly come to the rescue of many brands. These cloud-based kitchens offer takeout-only services without any seating area to dine within the premises. When the lockdown restrictions swept the globe, this format of kitchens proved to be tremendously useful. Studies say that the global ghost kitchen market size is expected to increase from $43.1 billion in 2019 to $71.4 billion by 2027.
Ironically (or rather tragically), the current scenario is that even web-based online ordering, in general, is yet to catch up to UI and UX standards set in retail segments. Foodies or those simply looking to order some food don't get the same experience as shoppers do when it comes to leveraging an intelligent interface. That's, in fact, one of the reasons why NJI has developed Scootr our proprietary online delivery system. Designed to bring food from our Cali outlets in Singapore to your doorstep, Scootr will make it a breeze to browse menus, add instructions, and place an order.
To conclude
To understand the future of online food delivery, it's important to revisit past innovations. Looking back, it's clear that its biggest advantage was convenience. Moving forward, we predict that convenience will remain king. However, what this means has gone through a sea of changes over the years. Today, it may hinge on providing contactless deliveries and offering personalized services. Tomorrow, it could be something else from deploying robotic delivery agents to integrating cryptocurrency as payment. Whatever the case the key should be to stay on top of what customers want and give it to them before they ask for it.
