With the pandemic and the lockdowns that hit Italy, more and more people started to order food delivery their meals, so as not to give up the pleasure of pizza on Saturday night or a restaurant lunch on Sunday. The habit of using food delivery services instead of going out to eat has literally consolidated at the end of the restrictions and even today many people use platforms to order ready meals, or they contact the restaurant directly. The reasons are many; ordering food directly online is a practical fast, convenient, and it also allows you to save money.
Food delivery data
According to some data from the fifth B2C eCommerce Observatory of the Politecnico di Milano, promoted by Just Eat, the food delivery è grew by almost 60% compared to 2020 and generated a value of 1.5 billion euros. These services are accessible to almost 70% of the Italian population, thanks to the boost given by the pandemic on one hand and technological evolution on the other. Indeed, while in some areas of Italy home deliveries were already widespread pre-pandemic, in other countries (especially smaller ones) few businesses were equipped with the right packaging to wrap food and affiliated with a delivery service. Mainly, it was pizzerias that offered such service, but as already mentioned in recent years other types of restaurants have reinvented themselves, and all consumers who have used such services have appreciated them so much that they continued to use them even after the restrictions, particularly making use of apps that include various offerings.
Restaurants becoming increasingly smart
The exponential growth of the food delivery phenomenon has forced restaurateurs to update themselves and keep up with the times. In short, restaurateurs have had to adapt to the growing demand from consumers, changing how they present themselves online, also using social media as a commercial tool. For example, on Instagram e Facebook it is possible to directly link to the menu link, making remote orders easier. Even regarding payments, there have been innovations and many restaurants accept electronic payments made in advance or via POS also at home delivery, using wireless tools. It is a true digital revolution that has quickly transformed the restaurant sector as well.
The reasons for the success of food delivery
As mentioned earlier, the reasons that generally lead people to use delivery instead of going out to eat are many. The aspect that most characterizes this particular service is its simplicity. Everyone, in fact, can order a pizza, a sandwich, a dessert, and much more in just a few minutes directly from their smartphone. In short, delivery has simplified the lives of millions of people who, for various reasons, do not intend to leave home to consume a specific food item. Finally, it should be noted that with delivery it is also possible to avoid food waste since, unlike what usually happens at a restaurant or pizzeria, if there is any leftover it is always possible to store it and eat it at a later time.
