Let’s talk about delivery. The discussion around it has evolved drastically over time. From debates about offering delivery a year ago, to advice around pivoting to it over the past months, and now to optimising delivery to make the most of it.
Because as an industry, we were all very familiar with the limitations of delivery: commission is a big cost, it burdens the kitchen staff, and it’s a strain to the day-to-day – from disrupting daily workflow to end of day reconciliations.
There were a lot of reasons to not offer delivery until the lockdown. During and after (for most states) the lockdown, the other side of the delivery debate started to sprout. Balancing the scales with the benefits, or perhaps sheer necessity, of delivery and online orders. And one of the greatest benefits of delivery is around the increase in average transaction value.
After the initial spike in delivery orders when the lockdown hit, we noticed a steady growth in average transaction values. Customers that were dining in simply weren’t spending as much as those who were ordering online.
Our latest data saw an approximate 30% increase in customer spend for online orders when compared to dine-in orders.
Why?
Delivery platforms are a digital personification of ‘never go to a grocery store hungry.’ They’re the ‘grocery store’ to a ‘hungry’ customer. Enticed by photos and devoid of dine-in distractions, customers are simply inclined to order a little bit more when they order online.
Delivery platforms also provide the opportunity to upsell. Not just upsell – but upsell with no inhibition. And it works. Meal deals, set promotions, prompts on the page, they all round up the check out bill by that much more.
So, back to the question around delivery. Which has evolved, again. There is no question now that delivery is here to stay. And it’s proven to be profitable when implemented and optimised with a strategy. The question now becomes: how do we make delivery a viable arm of hospitality businesses?
Kounta by Lightspeed POS – Delivery Integration
It boils down to incorporating delivery into the root of your business so that it seamlessly enters day-to-day workflows and causes little to no disruption. Which then boils down to tech – your Point of Sale system to be specific.
Kounta by Lightspeed offers integration with delivery partners like Deliveroo, UberEats, DoorDash – with Menulog joining the mix soon.
With delivery integration to POS, venues can operate like they usually do, benefit from offering delivery, and significantly minimise the extra work.
But what are the precise benefits of delivery integration?
– Receive all online orders directly on your Kounta by Lightspeed POS
– Leverage existing workflows – orders are sent straight to print which prevents manual keying errors
– Reconcile end of day sales instantly – all sales are fed into the same system so there is no extra time spent on sieving through different accounts
And that’s just the start.
You’ll be able to manage and edit your online menus easily, maximise exposure by offering delivery on multiple platforms, and optimise delivery performance by gaining full visibility on your online bestsellers.
Find out more about Kounta by Lightspeed and our delivery integration.
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