Not so long ago, food delivery was a concept that was not very widespread in the catering world. However, with the rise of home delivery this has changed. It is becoming more and more common to hear the concept of ‘omni-channel’ in the environment of large and medium-sized restaurant chains. In this article we tell you everything you need to know about the omni-channel strategy in foodservice and how to implement it successfully.
What is the omni-channel strategy?
The hospitality industry is undergoing a major transformation. The pandemic has accelerated all these changes. Consumers have suddenly gone from ordering food at home to ordering every week. Just look at the figures from the ‘Makro Hospitality and Consumer Study’, which shows that 38% of Spaniards have increased the number of home food orders in recent months. Today’s consumers want to order their food easily from anywhere, anytime. To achieve this, it is essential to provide them with a seamless and connected experience. As a result of these needs, the omni-channel trend was born, through which large and medium-sized restaurant chains provide their customers with the best way to order, pay for and receive their food.
Objective: more customers with their own home delivery channel
The hospitality industry lives from its customers. Without customers, no business is possible. Considering this and the fact that users expect a constant experience, using their own channel for fast food home delivery is a wise move. Figures from various reports back this up. Between 2019 and 2024, revenue for restaurant chains using the home delivery channel is expected to double. In the case of restaurant-to-consumer delivery, revenues increase from $11,601.3 million to $19,274.2 million. While in the case of delivery platforms the growth goes from $4,908.3 million to $9,356 million.
When employing an omni-channel strategy, it pays to have all customer requests centralized. This is achieved through the own channel. A proprietary channel allows you to centralize orders that come in via the Internet or through food ordering apps, which improves the user experience.
In this regard, it is more necessary than ever for large and medium-sized restaurant chains to have a solid strategy in place to meet the need for convenience, customization, speed and consistency.
Chains that offer a home delivery service must be omni-channel. The reason is very simple and similar to a decision to expand the number of physical stores. It is a way to reach new customers, create additional revenue streams and provide the customer with several options for ordering, either from the chain’s platform, from the website or through a third-party application. This is exactly what the customer is looking for: to have several convenient options for ordering food at home.
The key to success: the proprietary channel
The secret to success in implementing the omni-channel strategy exists. Technology is already making it possible for customers to book a table online or follow business activity on social media. But it also makes it possible for them to order takeaway food from any hospitality chain. Add to that the ability to view the menu online, track their order or rate their user experience in the restaurant, and the experience is even more enjoyable.
But for a large chain to be able to manage in an agile and effective way the huge amount of information it receives from aggregators or from its own booking page, it is necessary for it to have its own channel.
Imagine the complexity and workload of managing home orders across multiple platforms. In the end it becomes a tedious, stressful and unproductive task for the staff. That’s why thousands of restaurant chains are already opting to implement their own channel strategy, such as the WinDelivery complete home delivery platform. This helps them to centralize in a single platform all relevant information on the status of orders, whether they arrive on time or the level of customer satisfaction.
