The British sure do love a takeaway, whether it is a pizza that we’re craving, a plate of fish and chips or a dish from the Chinese. There is no shortage of takeaways across the UK either, though advancements in technology have altered so much of this industry. Join new Ford Transit stockist Lookers as they explore how tech is enabling the sector to go from strength to strength…
A more efficient service
Come 2021, Ford plans to have a fully self-driving delivery service in place. With this service, your coffee or takeaway meal would be delivered directly to your door by a driverless vehicle. The service, in conjunction with Deliveroo-style food courier service Postmates, is set to be trialed in the United States, but could be a game changer if it’s a success.
There’s so much storage space available inside the Ford Transit Connect. The automotive manufacturer is planning on cashing in on this by creating an automatic delivery service that will drop off your ordered food and drink — and it is closer than you think! This highlights that the death of the delivery driver – metaphorically speaking – may be near.
Heated containers can also be installed by a company. This would mean the vehicle could be out for longer without the risk of the order getting cold. By utilising all of a van’s space in a similar fashion to your supermarket deliveries. The vehicle would automatically send users a text on arrival and you’d need to type in a unique code to be granted access. It also helps to avoid payment issues, with Just Eat noting that nearly half of all in-person payments are now contactless.
New techniques for advertising
Have a good product or service that’s always in the public eye and your firm should have little trouble getting new customers through the door. It’s a cheap (free if you don’t promote your posts) and productive tool which will help you advertise your product and any offers you may have. A strong social media presence can also go a long way in getting your name out there. However, be sure to use it correctly as any misuse can have the opposite effect and be detrimental to your business.
Word of mouth is no longer enough. Nowadays, without a functioning website, you are running a huge risk of your business faltering. Customers want to know what they’re getting without leaving the house and a quick search on the internet should give them this opportunity. Similarly to the app, having a well-presented website will provide your audience with a platform to make a well-informed decision. If they are able to do this, then they are likely to gain confidence in your service.
Taking advantage of app development
In the past, we could only order a takeaway by calling up the establishment or actually visiting the eatery. However, we can now use a number of applications to speed up and simplify the process.
At the moment, you can find more than 36,000 dedicated takeaways. What’s more, in 2016 alone we spent £9.9 billion as a nation on takeaway food; up 34% since 2009. This figure is expected to keep rising, with the projected size of the takeaway sector by 2021 being £11.2 billion.
Just Eat is a particularly popular service that speeds up and simplifies the takeaway process. The takeaway now represents an eighth of the whole food services sector and apps can take a lot of the credit for this boom. In a recent survey, the takeaway company found that 39% of restaurants had noticed an increase in orders outside of the regular mealtimes, with 72% of businesses claiming apps had been a positive addition for their business.
Enable customers to rate both your food and your service and there is a good chance that your business will begin to rank highly outside of your immediate area. This in turn means more consumers from further afield would be willing to give your service a try. This highlights that for many fast food companies, their app is allowing them to reach an audience they previously wouldn’t have been able to attract.
While technology can provide various benefits to every industry, it seems clear by this article that those in the takeaway sector have embraced the advancements with open arms.
Sources
https://www.justeatplc.com/files/s3/2215/0045/3682/TAKEAWAY_ECONOMY_REPORT_2017.pdf
Written by
Jamie Roberts, a professional copywriter on behalf of Lookers. He has a passion for automobiles, technology, and sport – and writing about all three.
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