Despite the resurgence in hotel, restaurant and bar spending last month (January), new data reveals that consumers preferred to dine in with a takeaway this Valentine’s.
Using stats from ordering technology, Preoday, restaurants and retailers saw a 26% increase in the total number of takeaway and delivery orders placed on 14 February compared to the same day the week before, while year-on-year orders were up by 16%.
Clients also generated a 41% increase in online and mobile ordering revenue compared to the same day a week earlier, Preoday claimed.
What’s more, as well as placing a greater number of orders, consumers also increased the amount they spent. “The most spent at any one store was for sweet goods and cakes” – with the same venue also reporting a 142% increase in digital order revenue compared to Valentine’s Day 2017, proving the nation’s love for sugary treats.
Chief operating officer Matt Graywood explained: “A romantic gesture or meal is at the heart of Valentine’s Day and for many people, this is best enjoyed in the comfort of home.
“This year, our restaurant and food retail clients saw more orders come in from online and mobile for collection or delivery than last Valentine’s Day, and more than on a normal Wednesday.
“When it comes to the types of food enjoyed on Valentine’s Day, the fact that a cake shop was the most popular food business shows that lovers have a weakness for sweet treats.”
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.
