THERE is a “clear demand” for quality food and drink delivered from on-trade premises during the COVID-19 lockdown, according to research company CGA.
In a new report titled COVID-19 Insights: Delivery, the company said delivery services from on-trade venues “has an increasingly important role in keeping the nation fed”, with over half of the UK’s adult population either having already ordered a food delivery during the pandemic or planning to.
And there is said to be a considerable opportunity in delivered drinks, with 32% of respondents to CGA’s research saying they found the idea of ordering drinks from pubs, bars and restaurants appealing. This rose to 48% when looking at respondents who typically drink out of home every week.
Customers who typically drink cocktails, spirits and RTDs were said to be the most likely to order drinks for delivery.
The biggest barriers to ordering food and drink deliveries from traditionally on-trade venues were said to be consumer concerns over safety, but CGA said operators can overcome this through communicating the precautions they are taking to ensure their food and drink is safe.
The report said: “The ‘fear factor’ of delivery is evident and any delivery service provider should both take into consideration and advertise the safety precautions taken and the method of delivering on-premise products safely.
“There is a clear demand for drinks, especially for ‘virtual big nights in’, which require creative approaches to win hearts and minds, alongside a quality offer and a delivery strategy for drinks to tap into this.”
