Research from Deliverect finds consumers are ordering more delivery and takeaways despite inflation and the increased cost of living
- 7,000 global consumers, including 1,019 Australians, were surveyed to identify preferences and changing habits when it comes to restaurant offerings
- The survey marks the launch of Deliverect’s ‘Food for Thought’ series, which provides practical advice for restaurant owners and operators to thrive.
Deliverect, a global scale-up that simplifies digital orders for more than 27,000 locations across 40 markets, announced new global research, which revealed that more people are purchasing takeaway or delivery orders today than they were before the recent increase in the cost of living.
The survey, which was commissioned by Deliverect and conducted by Censuswide, found that 57.34% (60.47% AU) of consumers are now purchasing up to three takeaways in a week now, in comparison to 55.5% (55.54% AU) prior to the inflation increase.
The research reveals that while people are putting more thought behind how they spend their money, they are more likely to cut back on other activities such as buying clothing (52%), going out for drinks and dinner (56%) and travelling (45%) more.
Zhong Xu, CEO and co-founder of Deliverect said: “Undoubtedly people are becoming more conscious of where they’re spending as we witness a rise in inflation and cost of living globally.
“The research findings may be surprising to some, but evidently, people are continuing to prioritise and enjoy the convenience of takeaway and food delivery – yet their expectations continue to rise.
“Quality, consistency, and speed will help restaurants stand out from the crowd. Technology is here to help the food service community manage everything that goes into digital orders to come out more profitable and operationally savvy than before.”
As people watch their spending, they put great taste and ingredients at the forefront of their ordering decisions.
Quality
Over two-thirds (64%) of people say the taste of food is more important when watching their spending, as is the quality of restaurant ingredients (59%).
People are also looking for social proof before selecting where to eat, with nearly just over half (51%) saying restaurant ratings/customer reviews are now more important than ever.
Overall, the top reason customers would order from a restaurant again is because of its good quality of food (60%).
Consumers are also looking for a variety of great menu choices, with people selecting a restaurant for delivery or takeaway if it has a variety of menu offerings (30).
Fast, Seamless Delivery Influencing Choice
Another important element for customers is quick, streamlined deliveries. Fast delivery is likely to encourage people to order from a restaurant again (38%), as is food arriving at the proper temperature (34%).
Thirty-three per cent of customers are also likely to choose from one restaurant over another due to a quicker delivery time, and 36% of people will select a restaurant due to its proximity/convenient location.
Thirty-five percent of people also agree that 21-30 minutes is the maximum average time to wait for their order to arrive.
Multiple Delivery Options Driving Orders
Consumers trust delivery apps to deliver the best value and experience for their money today. Nearly one-third (27%) of people find ordering food from a restaurant via apps such as Deliveroo, Uber Eats, JustEat, Grubhub, Seamless, DoorDash the most reliable, followed very closely by ordering directly from the restaurant (38%). Just over 18% only trust picking up takeaway directly from a restaurant.
According to Brad Martin, head of digital for Craveable Brands, which owns iconic brands Red Rooster, Oporto and Chicken Treat, said: “Deliverect has helped us drive massive improvement in our delivery operations.
“Not only has menu management been simplified, but pushing orders direct to our POS has resulted in less time wasted juggling orders across multiple systems and improving order accuracy for customers.”
