DELIVERING THE FUTURE {Revisited} P reviously, we discussed the impact of technology and app-based delivery platforms for diners who prefer to enjoy their meals in the comfort of their own homes. But while apps like DoorDash, UberEats and GrubHub have a firm hold on the foodservice delivery market, they are far from alone. On their heels are another three concepts and services that are sure to turn heads: This is especially true in foodservice, where speed and accu- racy are vital in order to preserve food freshness and tempera- ture for consumers to enjoy their meals without having to sacrifice flavor or risk illness from contamination or spoilage. To remedy this, operators have been experimenting with the use of delivery robots in order to maintain reasonably fast delivery times while reducing congestion on already crowded
streets. And with the world’s first robot delivery service launched in 2018 to resounding success, there is no doubt that 2019 and beyond will see a sharp increase.
A subscription to success What do Netflix, Spotify and Planet Fitness have in common? Here’s a hint – it involves paying a monthly fee in exchange for regular delivery of goods and services to consumers. And while
…there is no reason to expect this new delivery frontier to remain static for long…
“Okay, that’s great for the city. But what about those of us in ru-
this model has been tried and true for music, gym member- ships and streaming television services, more industries are beginning to jump onto the subscriber bandwagon, from budding startups like the Dollar Shave Club to retail giants like Amazon. Foodservice may very well be included among the industries to take advantage of subscription-based deliv- ery service, especially when studies have been showing that a majority of American consumers are now ordering delivery or takeout at least once per week for the first time ever in recent history. The lean green machine In case you haven’t noticed, there has been an extraordinary amount of focus on sustainability in foodservice. And why not? After all, a recent Nielsen survey revealed that a whop- ping 75 percent of Millennial buying habits are environmen- tally driven, and that focus on sustainability is now going beyond just food. The delivery sector of the foodservice market is incorporating the sustainable dynamic as well. In- creased numbers of electric vehicles is sure to be the primary example of reducing the foodservice carbon footprint. But in an industry where innovation is a must, don’t expect it to be the only driver – pun intended. Androids and robots and drones, oh my! When running a delivery service, sometimes the key to suc- cess just comes down to cold hard numbers – in this case, the number of residents and cars on the road in a given city. In a densely populated area, delivery through traditional means such as by automobile or even bicycle isn’t always practical.
ral areas?” you might be wondering. And you would be right to ask that question. Delivery to more remote locations has always been somewhat of a challenge due to addresses that are not always easy to find, even with modern conveniences like GPS and Google Maps navigation. Add in the resource and environmental impact usually associated with long delivery commutes and you can quickly see the mounting difficulty at work. The good news? There’s an answer for that too. And it comes in the form of a little flying contraption making headlines – the aerial drone. They’re fast, they’re reliable and perhaps best of all – they don’t get stuck in traffic. Retailers are already experimenting with prototypes and the results have been promising. Expect 2019 and beyond to tap into a whole new revenue base with this innovative practice right on the horizon. Bring it on home There is no doubt that these cutting edge concepts are, for all intents and purposes, still very much in the prototypical stages of development and the territory is just now only be- ginning to be explored. However, like any industry, nothing ever remains static for long, especially in an increasingly fast- paced society with constantly changing tastes and evolving mindsets. And when it comes to foodservice delivery, that sentiment is especially true. So there is no reason to expect this new delivery frontier to remain static for long, either. And you can bet they’ll be ready to deliver the goods – again, pun intended.
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