Our whole team at klikit wishes all you restaurateurs across Manila a very Happy New Year! 🎊 The world is not only opening up again but consumers are just as curious as ever. Where is my food coming from? What’s the best deal I can get? Has my food been safely prepared? While the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns have changed what the future of food delivery looks like, it hasn’t changed the momentum that was gathering pace prior to the pandemic.
Instead, it’s only accelerated its inevitability. Let’s check out what consumers most want this year:
1. Food Safety 😷
COVID-19 shifted the mindset around food safety and preparation of food. In-store spacing, surface cleaning, food preparation, and employee safety measures were all brought to the forefront of consumers. A third of respondents in a recent Deloitte global survey said that cleanliness and safety would make them more likely to become a return customer of a business sooner. By adopting cleanliness and safety policies in-house, and making them more visible with delivery efforts, consumers are more willing to purchase from you.
This can be simply handling delivery bags with gloves, or sealing containers with stickers to prevent any spillage or open containers! You’ll earn extra bonus points with customers if you document and share your practices on social media for all to see and take comfort in.
2. More Ghost Kitchens 👻
Even in Manila, COVID-19 turned many food businesses into an overnight ghost kitchen, as there was a need to survive under certain restrictions. Almost two years into digital delivery, it hasn’t wavered or decreased. This means that online ordering, delivery, and safe/curbside pickup must now be factored into all aspects of the food and beverage business.
Having a digital presence on multiple platforms like GrabFood and foodpanda is a must. This also means that being able to be digital is now part of the basic equation for any food business and must be considered in any future business decisions.
3. Sustainable Sourcing ♻️
Climate change, waste reduction, minimal emissions — these are all environmental considerations that are affecting all industries. Where is food being sourced? Is the packaging sustainable? Can I minimise my waste? Can I recycle my packaging? These are all questions that more and more of today’s customers are asking restaurateurs. One of the solutions is the use of compostable and biodegradable packaging. Many food retailers are changing to the use of reusables and returnables in an ultimate push towards a reduction in disposables. One additional solution, which became prevalent during the pandemic was localisation of the supply chain. By buying from local smaller producers, in the absence of a disruption in the internal supply chain, it not only supports industry from the inside out, but also reduces the need for reliance on supply chain distribution.
4. Customer Service 🤝
Customer service facilitated by technology is now just as much a part of the in-store experience as the digital experience. With the surmounting amount of digital orders from multiple delivery channels, restaurants need to do more than just “pivot” and embrace frictionless technology to ease order flow and increase revenue. Having smart technology, such as order aggregation, can greatly assist restaurants in managing their business and increasing revenue. For example, klikit aggregates multiple third-party delivery platforms into one device, removing the need for multiple devices for a restaurant’s multiple brands and/or locations. This technology increases order flow, reduces error, and is more user-friendly.
5. More Variety to Meet Cravings 🤤
Corn ribs? Pesto eggs? Baked tomato & feta pasta? In the pandemic, variety and creativity were the key to keeping us entertained! Not only that, the global reach of platforms such as Instagram and TikTok have been a huge influence, exposing people to not only new food ideas but global cuisines and unusual ingredients. Having a ghost kitchen not only allows you to capitalise on this trend by easily exploring new products to sell, but it also allows you to stay relevant in a growing market with low investment. Start searching, or even better, be the creator of a new food trend! We dare you 😉
