Top trends expected to dominate the food delivery industry

The food delivery industry continues to evolve at a very impressive rate with more and more food joints setting up online shops by the day. And who doesn’t like convenience? Whether they are looking for the best diet meal plan delivery or pizza delivery to enjoy a Friday night, people seem to be welcoming the idea of ordering food just at the touch of a button on their mobile devices and having it delivered to their doorsteps within minutes. The food delivery industry is now a 400 million dollar market and experts project it to grow up ten times in the next five years.

Meal Delivery Services Are Getting Popular

As the food industry continues to revolutionize convenience as regard to the way people order and receive their meals, one would wonder: Why are meal delivery services getting so popular and expected to grow even more? There is an answer to this question;

Everyone likes convenience, and you will notice that many people consider grocery shopping, planning meals, and cooking as chores. Therefore, any kind of service that will offer to free them up from these tasks will be most welcome. Again, people are getting busier these days and being able to free up some time from the must-do chores and using it to focus on more enjoyable and productive activities is always great. Meal delivery services provide this chance. People place huge value on the ability to have back some time and attention; which is the critical currency in the 21st century. Therefore, in the long run, convenient options always win.

Trends Expected To Dominate The Food Delivery Industry

1. Technology will be a significant driving force in the food delivery market.
   Technology is going to play a critical role in the development of this industry. At present, there is a fierce competition in the industry with players looking to take advantage of technology to accommodate consumers’ expectations. Restaurants and food joints will invest in newer and creative use of technology in a bid win business. Many restaurants are already way into the usage of latest digital technologies. A recent survey shows that last year, the percentage of food orders placed online and via mobile apps (6.6% of the total) exceeded orders placed verbally over telephones (5%). More food delivery apps are going to be created to ease mobile food ordering and efficiently accommodate the preferences of consumers.
   The market has also experienced transformations in the food delivery space like Domino’s branded robot, “DRU,” an autonomous food delivery vehicle. It is expected that more innovations are coming that will make various food delivery brands achieve significant growth.

2. The number of consumers ordering food online is likely to increase
   More consumers are expected to order food online more frequently than ever more frequently. Reports from CGA Peach indicate that in the last six months alone, more than half of consumers have preferred to have their meals delivered at home. Again, the number of consumers who are entirely dependent on online food ordering facilities has increased significantly. The availability of various food ordering and delivery apps is playing a significant role in normalizing convenient ordering and delivery. There is likely going to be a massive increase in the number of people frequently using food delivery services.

3. Third Party and In-house delivery are expected to compete fiercely.
   The number of third-party food delivery services like UberEats and Deliveroo has risen over the last few years. In fact, some, like UberEats are supporting full-service restaurants by offering food delivery services for them. However, many full-service restaurants are starting their in-house delivery services, and this has seen the popularity of the third-party delivery services decrease a little in some areas. Restaurants are increasingly fighting back in a bid to reduce reliance on third-party delivery services and boost their sales.

4. There will be more variations in the common delivery models.
   Now that online food delivery is officially a growing trend in the industry, there is going to be a new one getting into action. The food industry has already experienced dramatic competition with various companies like Just Eat, Deliveroo, Amazon Fresh, among others competing aggressively. Again, even small food joints and restaurants are aggressively investing in online food ordering systems, initiating some change in the common food delivery models. This competition is expected to continue, and companies will try to find new niches.
5. There is going to be more of the delivery droids and other Al solutions in the scene.
   More brands are expected to turn to Al solutions and different automation strategies to streamline their processes. Also, more delivery droids are expected to be tested by major players in the food delivery market. Experts predict that this will significantly simplify delivery processes.
6. Delivery brands are expected to harness data and prioritize UX.
   As means of achieving longevity in the food industry, the most effective players in the market are expected to harness data at their disposal and prioritize UX. Brands that will make this decision are predicted to do very well in the industry.