Ordering Food Online Just Got Better: 5 New Delivery Trends to Know About
The rise of the internet and mobile phones has given rise to food delivery applications. Applications make it easier to order food, as people are not required to go online and type the web address in their browser.
Applications have integrated payment options and several other features, like feedback options, easy menu browsing, multiple restaurants at one place, live-order tracking, and so on.
What motivates online food delivery to get better?
The increasing popularity of food delivery apps and their high acceptance among people have been the motivating factors behind their improvement.
Millennials
Yes, Millennials. Millennials order the most from delivery apps as compared to other generations. Millennials are leading a hectic lifestyle due to their heavy work load, and they have hardly any time left for cooking.
Millennials also constitute the larger population with spending capacity; hence, it makes even more sense that they lean towards the convenience of online food ordering.
Existence of various delivery channels
In today’s era of innovation and technology, there are various platforms and smart devices that can be used for ordering food. We will be exploring some of them in this section
Domino’s got the idea to leverage social media and introduced ‘Order by tweet.’ With this feature, users are required to create an account with Domino’s and then link it with their Twitter account; thereafter, they simply have to tweet Domino’s a pizza emoji to get their pizza delivered to them.
Virtual assistants
Virtual assistants, such as Alexa, are capable of receiving and placing orders on your behalf as you command them. For example, GrubHub, an American food ordering platform, works with Alexa, which enables Alexa virtual assistant users to place orders by speaking or commanding.
Smartwatches
Some food delivery services, like Domino’s, have launched smartwatch apps compatible with smartwatches so that food delivery can be even more convenient.
Smart TV
With the new-age TVs, customers can place online food orders right from the screen itself in the house. For example, customers can use Apple TV to check a restaurant’s entire menu, customize a pizza, and view history the same way as they would from their mobile app. Even Samsung Smart TV users can do the same.
Modern Delivery Options
In the past, delivery drivers were key to getting food orders to customers. But some restaurants worry they can’t always depend on them. Delivery needs to be faster and cheaper, so companies are trying new things like robots, drones, and even parachutes! It will be interesting to see if these new ideas can replace delivery drivers or just help them out.
Delivery with Robots
Smart machines are here to help with food deliveries! New technologies like self-driving cars and helpful robots are being developed. In Britain, a company called JustEat teamed up with Starship to create rolling robots on sidewalks that bring food to customers. These robots are pretty slow, at about 4 miles per hour, but they can travel up to 10 miles to deliver your food. They use GPS and cameras to find their way around, and you’ll use a code to unlock your order when it arrives.
Delivery with drones
Food deliveries by drone are becoming popular. It all started with a “Tacocopter” delivering tacos in San Francisco, followed by the “Burrito Bomber” in 2012. Even Domino’s jumped on board, testing drone delivery with a successful pizza delivery in New Zealand that took less than 5 minutes!
Upcoming Niches
In the past, food delivery apps offered all sorts of restaurants. But now, new apps are popping up that focus on just one kind of food. For example, if you’re vegan, there are apps like Food Nerd, MamaSezz, and VegReady that only have vegan restaurants! This helps these new apps stand out from the crowd and makes it easier for you to find what you’re looking for. So, if you’re running a food delivery business, keep an eye on these niche apps that are becoming more popular!
Food Waste apps
To curb food waste, Food For All, an application that helps save food, has been launched. It resells food from various eateries at a 50% discount to its users.
Apps for Virtual Kitchens
Imagine a restaurant that exists only online! These are called virtual restaurants, ghost kitchens, or online-only restaurants. They don’t have a physical location you can visit, but you can still order their food through delivery apps like Uber Eats.
This is a cool idea for a few reasons:
Restaurants can try new menus without opening a whole new building. They can test out new dishes or different cuisines to see if customers like them.
Small businesses can join the delivery game even if they don’t have a storefront. A bakery working out of someone’s home can still sell their delicious treats!
Delivery apps can offer more variety by including these virtual restaurants. This gives customers more options to choose from, including unique foods they might not find elsewhere.
So, next time you’re browsing a delivery app, keep an eye out for virtual restaurants! You might discover a hidden gem.
Crypto Food orders
Food delivery is getting a crypto makeover. Instead of just credit cards or cash, some restaurants and delivery apps are now letting you pay with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. This might be a good fit for people who are into crypto and want to use it for everyday purchases. Proponents also say crypto payments could be more secure. But for this to really take off, delivery apps would need to accept a wider variety of cryptocurrencies to attract more customers who want this option. So, next time you’re ordering food, keep an eye out for the crypto symbol – you might be able to pay with your favorite digital cash.
Conclusion
We have come to the conclusion that technology is improving rapidly, and especially in the online food ordering industry, it is adding convenience for people. HathMe food delivery app is one such food delivery application.
