Independent takeaways have long fought against their chain competitors, but a new confrontation of David vs Goliath proportions is taking place.
The restaurant owner who wants more online customers is increasingly being forced towards Just Eat, which takes a hefty commission on all orders placed through its service. If that initial loss of revenue wasn’t bad enough, takeaways are forced to watch loyal, local customers whom they have known for years suddenly become Just Eat customers.
Yawar Khan, the chairman of the Asian Catering Federation (ACF), whose organisation represents 1,500 takeaways, outlined the stark choice which faces its members, aligning it with drug addiction.
He said that websites like Just Eat “used to be good for our members as it would give a boost to their business. But now so many takeaways are on the platform, it is no longer a benefit, with many of the same customers returning, rather than new customers joining. It’s like a drug. Just Eat offer great incentives to join, but once they’ve got you hooked it becomes addictive and then they put their fees up.”
Mr Khan explained that the ACF was encouraging members to take control by setting up their own online ordering systems. Some don’t even have the choice – it was revealed recently that Just Eat goes as far as to kick underperforming takeaways off its platform, or charge extra commission to those who want to rise to the top.
But help is at hand as Preoday is offering takeaway owners their own branded ordering system, including a website, app and customer data platform. With a minimal monthly fixed fee, they can now recapture those loyal customers through the benefits of going direct. The app includes all the customer data and analytics that Just Eat withholds, so they can make informed marketing decisions going forward, and there is 0% commission, which means that long term savings can be astronomical.
Preoday has Just Eat worried because they know there is no longevity in their business model. We give takeaway owners full control over their pricing, brand and content, allowing them to fight against their natural competition with all the armory that they need to be successful.
How much longer can Just Eat’s goliath monopoly continue for? There’s a new David in town and the battle outside of the takeaway is just heating up.
It’s not as catchy as: ‘When is a door not a door?’ (answer, when it’s a jar) but it speaks to the idea that in-car collection, and the technologies that support it, are flexible enough to bend to the needs of a business and its guests.
Delivery can be daunting to the uninitiated, and it might be tempting to sign up with a third-party ordering aggregator that offers the service, such as UberEats, but other options could suit your business and brand better. Here we present three different ‘levels’ of delivery, starting with the most basic – and cheapest method: doing it yourself.
