Food delivery platform foodpanda said that preference for food delivery is still in-demand among users in 2022, even as new trends like dine-in and pick-up services continue to grow.
“In 2022, we transitioned from a long period of lockdowns to more relaxed restrictions where people can finally go out and perform outdoor activities like shopping and dining out. So evidently, the consumer trends and behavior also reflected this where we saw a mix of demand for online food delivery services and face-to-face services in physical establishments like dine-in and pick-up,” said Daniel Marogy, chief executive officer of foodpanda Philippines.
“At the start of last year, people were still hesitant to go out – and online school and work were still in place – so they kept having their food and groceries delivered,” Marogy noted.
This was evident when the company had the highest orders of the year during Valentine’s Day.
“Since people wanted to celebrate this special day but were a bit wary of spending it outdoors, they opted just to order in from the comfort and safety of their homes,” Marogy shared.
The company also revealed that comfort snacks like milk tea and french fries topped the list of the most ordered items on the app last year.
But as the cases began to go down and mass vaccinations started rolling out, foodpanda also saw an increase in their dine-in and pick-up orders.
Marogy revealed that it was a huge game-changer not just for their company but also for the way their customers use the foodpanda app.
“We’re offering new and improved ways to get their favorite meals for pick up and dine at their favorite restaurants,” he said.
Dine-in is part of foodpanda’s pandapro subscription that provides app users exclusive access to discounts, amazing deals, and more.
foodpanda also mentioned that, on average, pandapro users order 150% more and save 5x more than non-users.
“We wanted to focus and amplify our efforts on services our users can enjoy other than delivering. So, our pandapro subscription offers these big savings and special privileges like free delivery or discount vouchers,” Marogy said.
Online grocery delivery is still in
The most popular orders from their grocery arm, pandamart, also revealed varying preferences from their app users, with bread coming at the top as the most ordered item
But, Marogy shared that aside from food essentials like this, products such as frozen goods, fresh produce, and personal care items were all noticeably present in their top orders.
“It’s worth noting that these items are what consumers would usually buy at physical stores or groceries, yet we see these products at our top order list. It shows that consumer buying behavior has definitely evolved,” he said.
He also remarked that even with increased foot traffic outdoors, online grocery delivery remains a regular part of their app users’ shopping routines, clearly indicating how their consumers have gotten used to convenience and decided never to look back.
More new things to come
The online food delivery platform said it will launch new offerings for its customers this year.
“The various events, awesome deals, and new services, including the launch of our cute mascot Pau-Pau last year, ushered in an era of excitement and fun-loving service that we want to imbibe to our customers,” said Marogy.
“This year, our aim is to become an even more trusted and go-to platform that will cater to the different food-related needs of customers. This will be our north star moving forward while ensuring that our community of other stakeholders like partner vendors and delivery partners, are all satisfied and happy.”
