How COVID-19 Has Led To A Food Delivery Industry Boom

Posted by: KHTS Articles in News Articles June 22, 2021 - 10:47 am 0 845 Views

With the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, some consumers rushed to the supermarkets to stockpile while others stayed cooped up at home and hit the keyboard. The food delivery industry has experienced unprecedented growth purely due to the pandemic. Deliveries of groceries and fast food surged, with some projections claiming that this may long continue to be the preferred way to shop post-Covid. While some countries are lifting restrictions, others are sinking back into further lockdowns and curfews in an attempt to curb this pandemic.

The four main types of food ordered for delivery are groceries, meal kits, restaurant meals, and fast food.

Delivery of Meal Kits

Meal kits provide a safe, healthy, and affordable alternative to eating out, ordering fast food, or making trips to the grocery store. Numerous specialty diets are available for delivery including carnivore, pescatarian, gluten-free, paleo, keto, South Beach Diet, vegan, and family-friendly – you can read a review of the South Beach Diet meal delivery kit by following the link.

These super convenient meal kits are user-friendly, offer fresh ingredients, and simple but efficient recipes. They provide a great service as an alternative to ordering prepared unhealthier food options and thus assist consumers to adopt healthier eating habits while saving time and money. Only the required ingredients are delivered. They are pre-portioned and ready to cook so there is no chance of purchasing too much, anything going unused, or going bad and needing to be thrown in the trash. Time is saved not only on grocery store trips but also on researching a recipe and then preparing all the ingredients for use: the preparation is done.

Delivery of Groceries

Before Covid, the online food delivery industry had already begun reaping the benefits of widespread digitalization and the abundance of delivery apps developed. Ordering groceries online helps to avoid human interaction. Payments can be made electronically and the package left at the door to provide contactless delivery. Some franchises have even developed their own service by hiring drivers and creating their personalized online applications.

The food supply chain has in some cases been redirected with supplies that would have been delivered to restaurants now being packed into boxes for domestic consumers. Former restaurants have adapted their products and transitioned into specialty grocery stores to keep business alive.

Some communities have developed community-supported agriculture whereby consumers can buy shares in farms in return for regular deliveries of food throughout the season. Fresh, sustainable goods are thus delivered direct to the customer/contributor, in effect removing the middleman.

Wholesale suppliers, neighborhood restaurants, and others like butchers and bakers, have all started assembling boxes of groceries for consumers at home in an approach to rethink their business.

Food delivery services and demand is concentrated in larger cities where there are more suppliers, more consumers, and greater availability of workers to be able to make the deliveries.

Delivery of Restaurant Meals

Numerous major restaurant chains created their own large delivery fleets to compete with the service offered by the many delivery apps available. This means they hold more control over the service received by their customers and can ensure efficient delivery on demand.

Delivery of your favorite meal is an alternative to in-restaurant dining in our new Covid normality. Some consumers lack cooking skills or time and wish to be able to appreciate professionally prepared food delivered hot to their door. Many restaurants, coffee shops, and bars offer customers a chance to purchase gift cards in advance of their next in-store visit, thereby encouraging further future face-to-face business.

Mainstream delivery apps have benefitted hugely from social distancing norms as many restaurants rely on their services to get their products to the customers. There is much competition between these applications with some choosing to forgo their commission fees and instead charge a monthly subscription fee to the restaurant.

Fast Food Delivery

With many employees working remotely, there are fewer dine-out options available and the fast-food delivery industry has sky-rocketed. With schools locked down and children at home, more purchases for delivery are made. These children would previously have taken lunch to school or purchased it at the cafeteria, but with families at home and parents working, the reality is that the time to make meals is limited.

Many consumers order larger than average deliveries to save on delivery costs. They may order lunch and dinner together, saving the extra meal for later consumption.

The trend towards e-commerce, increased urban living, and evolving social behaviors has resulted in a food delivery industry boom. Some people are unable to get to the grocery store or cook due to a disability, old age or frailty, thus the food delivery industry has become a lifeline for them, as well as for the businesses they are supporting.