With convenience and versatility dominating demands for delivery services, aggregators are instrumental in increasing everyday ordering.
As this year’s report has demonstrated, the speed and convenience of meal delivery has been paramount to its continued growth. And aggregators are a key factor in helping connect outlets to their customers and make their service as smooth as possible.
In 2022, we have seen that the market penetration for aggregator use increase since 2020. Popularity for these platforms is most prevalent in Asia where over 80% of all meal delivery buyers use aggregators.
This year, the most common reason for use was convenience, with half of consumers stating this as a key deciding factor in ordering through an aggregator. But the benefit for buyers also includes the deals and promotions that these platforms are often able to run, with 34% of respondents citing promotions as a reason to use aggregators.
Aggregators’ market penetration and prevalence amongst consumers has attracted the attention of large tech companies across the world. WhatsApp is an emerging player in the space, with 40% of meal buyers in Brazil ordering through WhatsApp at least once last year. The platform also accounts for around 15% of all meal delivery occasions in Brazil in 2022.
Discounts, delivery fees and deals
We know that promotions are a significant influencer of buyers choosing aggregators, but what are the specific benefits people look for from their delivery platforms?
Discounted ticket prices have a big impact on purchasing behaviours. Globally, 50% of meal delivery customers actively look for discounted items when using aggregators to purchase orders. Mainland China is a key market where this demand appears with 70% of buyers seeking this type of promotion.
Two case studies from this market of aggregators tapping into this demand are Meituan and Eleme. For ￥15/ month, Meituan offers broad and comprehensive services beyond simply meal delivery with daily coupons that can increase in value within a set period of time. As a member of Eleme, for ￥12/ month, users can save more than￥20/ month through games and entertainment offerings.
Delivery fees are also a major consideration for many consumers, with 45% of the global population citing no delivery fees as a motivator to use an aggregator. This benefit is perceived as particularly important in the UK, where 60% of delivery service users seek no delivery fees on their purchases. As such, we are seeing increased pressure on operators and aggregators to remove delivery fees and apply discounted ticket prices in all regions.
