Consumer-Focused Food Deliveries

Consumer-focused food delivery company foodora is no stranger to setting itself apart from its competitors, so Trend Hunter sat down with the brand's managing director, David Albert to gain some insight into how the company innovates.

According to Albert, at the end of the day it all comes down to "what the customer wants" and while this may seem like a common industry mantra, foodora consistently delivers and pushes the envelope to offer its customers, employees and its participating restaurants the best experience possible. Recently, the brand unveiled a 'Ghost Kitchen' concept, which Albert describes as a kitchen-only delivery facility that hosts four to five active restaurants. The kitchen concept, which is currently operating in Singapore, foregos storefronts and dining areas to offer eaters a more expansive selection of restaurant options in a particular area. Creating food solely for takeout is a new yet widespread concept, but between the increased food options and low overhead costs for restaurant owners, the delivery-only kitchen could be the future of the industry.

In a continued effort to convenience the customer, foodora launched an Amazon Alexa skill which enables consumers to place an order and track their delivery through the voice assistant. While the technology is still in its infancy, foodora's ability to recognize and leverage different technological mediums plays a crucial role in the growth of the business.

The company acknowledges that its expansion has a direct impact on the environment, and to combat this foodora developed a three-tier environmental initiative. The root of this initiative, according to Albert, is to make “delivery as sustainable as possible.” foodora delivers on bicycle whenever it can-- in Canada, about 70% of all deliveries are completed using this eco-friendly method of transportation. Moreover, select restaurants on the app feature an opt-in or opt-out button which enables consumers to decide whether or not they’d like to receive plastic knives and forks with their meal. The brand hopes this action will help achieve a 30% reduction in the use of plastic cutlery. The brand’s commitment to sustainability doesn’t end when the food reaches the doorstep. With a heightened focus on ingredient transparency, foodora is hoping to capture every single component that goes into restaurant dishes, effectively offering a customer “full visibility into what is in their food.” This information will be searchable through the app as the brand continues to advance technologically.

Technology is something foodora sees as a growing force in the food industry and while Albert believes in these advances, he also notes that there are a lot of things that will never change about food. For example, the community and sociability that surrounds food is a constant. A modern consumer still looks to attain this, but in the most comfortable and convenient way possible, which is something foodora seamlessly facilitates.