Eating out while staying in: why we love delivery apps
Savanta recently launched its BrandVue Eating Out report, revealing which brands are winning the hearts of more than 96,000 UK diners. Its executive vice-president Will Blackett explores which brands consumers turn to when they’re choosing to order in, as opposed to eating out.
UK diners are wanting to stay in, but don’t want to give up their favorite food brands – according to Savanta / Kai Pilger via Unsplash
Just Eat is the UK’s most loved food delivery service, holding on to its lead from last year. Competition is strong, though. The food delivery space’s evolution over the past 12 months has been fascinating to watch, with Just Eat’s rivals expanding their offering significantly by recruiting supermarkets.
Uber Eats and Deliveroo have also retained their positions from Savanta’s 2021 report, ranked second and third respectively. Completing the top five are Pizza Hut Delivery at fourth and Foodhub at fifth.
Just Eat continues to stay top-of-mind with a strong TV advertising strategy, combined with consistent campaign alignment across other channels. This year the delivery brand launched a new Katy Perry-fronted commercial and catchy jingle to follow on from the previous Snoop Dogg partnership.
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How can competitors replace Just Eat at the head of the table?
Recently, their strategy has been to add grocery brands to their platforms, alongside restaurants. Uber Eats has partnerships in place with several supermarkets including Asda, Iceland, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco, while Deliveroo has signed Morrisons, Co-op, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose.
In contrast, investors have expressed concern at Just Eat’s slower approach to joining forces with supermarkets, but it has since reached agreements with Co-op and Asda. In their bids to be number one, could broader delivery offerings including the likes of Sainsbury’s be Uber Eats or Deliveroo’s best bet for success?
Throughout the pandemic, food delivery apps helped the nation’s favorite eating-out brands to continue serving their signature dishes to customers. But with Covid-19 under control in 2022, many customers are returning to restaurants in person, and growth has slowed for Just Eat and co as a result. Growing instead is inflation, with takeaway frequency likely to decrease further.
However, the rapid rise of delivery apps in recent years is partially due to their ‘lean startup’ mentality and business model. They were quick to adapt to the changing circumstances presented by Covid-19. Now they’re pivoting to factor in groceries.
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Even if current conditions look relatively less favorable, delivery services are sure to find ways to keep giving cost-conscious customers what they want – namely, the UK’s most loved eating-out brands’ signature meals, delivered directly to their doors.
Download Savanta’s report here for the full list of The UK’s Top 100 Most Loved Eating-Out Brands, as well as insights on the future of the sector and how brands can stay relevant in the coming years.
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