Why is online food delivery popular?

Food delivery, in its simplest terms, refers to a courier service by which an independent company delivers food to the customers. The items available for delivery may include grocery items, entrees, drinks, desserts, and sides. The driver will usually use a car for transportation, but in metropolitan cities, they can use vehicles such as bikes or scooters. Increasing foreign investments and collaboration in India in the food processing sector signifies a vast increase in the food and beverages products being offered by global multinational companies as well as the domestic companies. To use a food delivery service, the customer will place their order through a restaurant’s site or a food ordering company. Depending on the food delivery company, they can opt to pay online or in person. In most cases, a flat rate delivery fee is charged on top of the customer’s order. The rapid penetration of internet-enabled devices and the availability of a large variety of online dishes is encouraging consumers to order food online. Also, online food delivery applications offer various discounts and payment modes such as online payment and cash-on-delivery. This enables consumers to choose multiple dishes from different restaurants. Many such benefits offered by food delivery applications are increasing the convenience for consumers, which is driving the market growth. The exclusive websites earn commissions on every order and the benefit to customers is that they can access several food websites offerings at just one stop, avail discounts and exclusive offers to get the maximum value out of their online or mobile app orders. Advertisements on television and social media by the manufactures of the high-growth segments are making the Indian consumers aware of the new products. 

It’s not a surprise that numerous international grocery chains have decided to accommodate consumers’ growing fondness for the cuisine. India has the fastest-growing economy in the world, is known for its rich and diverse culture and is home to people from different religions and languages living together. Geographically also, India has varied climate and agriculture conditions. With these diversities, India offers a wide variety of traditional cuisines. These cuisines vary significantly geographically from north to south and east to west of India and are also influenced by local availability of spices, herbs, vegetables and fruits. These traditional cuisines are getting evolved over some time and are now served in different avatars, e.g., the inclusion of new ingredients or flavours and change in the traditional preparation style. 

India has a variety of festivals spread across the whole year that bring families and friends together to celebrate. These celebrations are incomplete without traditional foods and beverages, especially traditional sweets, snacks, beverages, etc. There has been a gradual shift in consuming products of high-growth segments during these festive seasons along with traditional foods, especially in urban areas. Further, special occasions are not restricted to festivals alone but also to birthdays, anniversaries, marriages etc.

Consumers are increasingly seeking value and better outcomes from self-management of health and wellness. Therefore, certain sections of consumers do check the health benefits before buying. With the growth in e-commerce, supermarkets and food chains, the health benefits of associated packaged food and beverages are visible. Further, consumers trust branded products due to the quality standards assured by the manufacturers. Therefore, with an increase in disposable income and awareness, Indian consumers are increasingly consuming the food and beverages of high-growth segments