The Rise of Online Food Deliveries Amid COVID-19

During the first wave of the pandemic, the Australian state borders were shut down because of the fast-spreading virus. Those restrictions include the temporary closure of dine-in restaurants, catering Melbourne services, other establishments that require face-to-face interactions, travel bans, and so much more.

Those businesses remained close for a few months. Some even had to close down for good due to bankruptcy. Without a doubt, the whole food industry suffered a big blow except for grocery stores that remained open but have noticed fewer shoppers than usual. It is not happening in Australia alone because the rest of the world is experiencing this horrible situation too. On the other hand, food businesses thought of an alternative so people can still eat what they crave through food deliveries.

According to a study by Roy Morgan, nearly four million Australians aged 14+ now use meal delivery services of which the biggest consumers are Millennials. But in all age groups, the demographics are mostly pointing to women who are most likely to use the services.

What are food deliveries?

Food deliveries immensely skyrocketed throughout this pandemic as people avoid going outside to buy their meals. This is not new. Deliveries have been around for years now and most, if not all businesses have delivery options already. But undeniably, these COVID times boosted the utilisation of ready-to-eat food deliveries as it is more convenient and time-saving than cooking.

Food delivery apps in Australia

Just like the rest of the world, every country has their go-to list of food delivery apps. In Australia, UberEATs is the market leader. Although, in some parts of the country, choices such as Menulog, Deliveroo, Hey You, and Hello Fresh are also used. While UberEats is the most used food delivery app, Menulog is Australia's widest-reaching food delivery service with 11,000 plus restaurants on their list.

On the other hand, if you have a favourite restaurant or caterer that you prefer getting your fresh food from, you should check their websites because they might be offering ready to eat meals there.

Advantages and disadvantages of food deliveries

These COVID times are hard as it limits our social interaction and we are not extremely encouraged to go out unless extremely needed. So, everything that we used to buy ourselves outside can be delivered right to our doorsteps. Aside from groceries and other items that we used to shop in malls, food is the most delivered.

If we think about it, food delivery is the best choice that we could ever have instead of going outside to eat during this time of the pandemic. But just like other things, it is not without any flaw. So let's see the pros and cons of food delivery services.

Advantage: Convenience

Customers don't have to go out to order food. Instead, you can use an app or directly go to their websites and place your order. You won't have to cook for the whole family because you can always order food online. Also, payments can be processed online or in cash, whichever you prefer. Without a doubt, the convenience given by online food deliveries is its best selling point.

Disadvantage: More Expensive

Additional fees such as the delivery fee can be quite a number, especially if you ordered from a restaurant that is quite far away from your abode. If this happens, you should expect bigger fees of course. But when you think about it, are your orders worth the delivery fee? So you better be smart in placing your orders. Don't let the fees be more than the cost of your food.

Advantage: Discover new restaurants

The familiar is more comfortable but the joy of discovering new good food is immeasurable. As online food deliveries have been a huge hit, more and more restaurants and food stalls are joining. This allows more customers to reach them and try their food without having to be physically present. Connecting restaurants to customers, that's one of the best advantages.

Takeaway

Online food deliveries are extremely helpful to both consumers and restaurants as this kind of experience allows more people to stay at home and still eat their comfort foods. Also, small restaurants will be able to sustain their businesses and enable delivery drivers to still have a job despite the circumstances.