'Meal delivery remains popular even after corona'

For the delivery services, 2020 was also a year to remember, but mainly in a positive sense. With the closure of the restaurants, meal delivery became booming, according to figures from Thuisbezorgd.nl, among others. "It is now more than a 'guilty pleasure'. That is why the delivery of meals will remain popular after the corona crisis," says Joey Bloemendal of Thuisbezorgd.nl during the online Horecava.

The corona crisis was the accelerator in the trend of meal delivery. For many restaurants, the corona pandemic was the reason to start with meal delivery and/or takeout meals. This is evident from the results of Thuisbezorgd.nl. The company made nearly 50 million deliveries last year, with an average cost of €22,20. This is a growth of approximately 30% compared to the previous year.

"The average amount is therefore considerably higher than in other years, which means that a decent meal was ordered more often by entire families. Last year they did this a little more than once a month," says Joey Bloemendal, Head of Sales at Thuisbezorgd. .NL. But the question is: will that trend continue, or will demand drop again when restaurants and catering establishments are allowed to reopen?

Delivery continues to be popular
Bloemendal expects meal delivery to continue to be popular in the coming years. "Meal delivery is now more than a 'guilty pleasure'. For example, consumers are increasingly opting for a healthy or vegan meal." Bloemendal emphasizes that the crisis has brought a different kind of consumer to meal delivery. "They place different orders. That means that restaurants that are affiliated with us must have a wide range."

According to the salesman of Thuisbezorgd, there are several reasons why the delivery of meals will remain popular after the crisis. One of these is the credo: 'on demand, anywhere & anytime food'. "Consumers find it increasingly important that a meal is available at any time, for example immediately after exercise. Another reason is convenience. Ordering food is easy and convenience is always the winner," says Bloemendal.

Home delivery also expects that working from home will become 'the new standard'. "The office lunch thus becomes the home-office lunch. Restaurants, sandwich shops and other catering establishments can respond well to this by offering lunch dishes. Meal delivery or collecting meals are also reasons to keep in touch with the consumer," concludes Bloemendal off.

Kimberly Baker

Kimberly Bakker is an all-round editor at Boerenbusiness. She also has an eye for the social media channels of Boerenbusiness.

k.baker @boerenbusiness. Nl

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