4 Things Everyone Should Know About Delivery Services

The way we see the world has changed in the last couple of years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Before that, delivery services were already booming and quite popular, but more and more businesses have had to turn to delivery services to stay afloat because of the pandemic. Delivery options have made all of our lives easier, so more and more businesses are turning to delivery services.

Delivery services made access to groceries, food, and anything else more secure for everyone involved, which was especially necessary during the many lockdowns we experienced. This made it possible to get everything you need without leaving the comfort of your home. So, without further ado, let’s dive into this blog and find out how your business can benefit from delivery services.

1. Position yourself optimally in your sector

Pricing will determine your positioning. It is a strategic decision that depends on the constraints and objectives you set for yourself. You will have to be coherent with your positioning and emphasize the image of your establishment, your values, and your products so that they stand out from the competition to your customers.

Knowing what your competitors are offering and what they are charging will help you define your offer. If your restaurant is gastronomic, low takeout prices may devalue your brand image. On the other hand, high takeout prices will turn off your potential customers if your prices are usually affordable.

To attract lunchtime customers, it is important to know the average value of a customer’s spending on lunch. An Australian spends an average of 10$ for their lunch break. For fast-food restaurants, the average basket is 9.70$ per meal, and for traditional restaurants, it represents 13.50$ per meal.

2. Calculate your food costs to anticipate delivery costs

To make your takeaway profitable, you need to calculate your costs beforehand. On average, the cost of the ingredients of a dish represents between 25% and 35% of its total value. The “multiplier” method consists of applying a multiplier to the material cost of a word to obtain the final selling price (material cost of the dish X multiplier = final selling price).

The takeaway sale requires fewer personnel costs (service, washing up…) but increases the packaging costs. If you find it difficult to calculate the personnel costs involved in a takeaway activity, you can add the cost of packaging to the material cost of the dish and reduce the multiplication coefficient initially applied to table service. After having taken into account the different charges, you have to adapt this multiplication coefficient.

The gross margin generated should be sufficient to cover your other expenses (labor, rent, etc.) and thus profit. Usually, restaurant owners aim for a margin rate of around 70% on foodstuffs and at least 75% on the sale of drinks. To calculate your gross margin, subtract the cost of materials from the selling price.

3. Adapting your packaging

How to maintain the restaurant experience while implementing a takeout and delivery service? What packaging solutions exist to reduce the amount of plastic used to transport the dishes during delivery? You need to ask yourself these types of questions before choosing your packaging.

In addition to representing your values, the packaging must be optimal for takeout and delivery. For financial reasons and as an ecological alternative, we advise you to choose reusable, biodegradable packaging made of renewable materials. There is a wide range of tableware solutions out there.

4. Work on your local referencing

The first thing to do is indicate on your Google My Business page that you offer a takeout and delivery service. Don’t hesitate to add it to your establishment’s description and share a Google My Business post as well! Using the keywords “takeout” and “delivery” frequently, increasingly searched for on Google in recent months, will help you rise to the top of the search results.

With +70% of navigation on the web since mid-March, it becomes essential to be visible on Google, wherever your customers- current or future- are. For this, you must imperatively:

• Update your schedules everywhere you are referenced online.
• Identify your relevant keywords and publish them on all platforms.
• Respond to customer reviews and insert your keywords. Don’t hesitate to use these reviews to share your news and specify your new offer.
• Take pictures to make your customers want to visit your site. Rename them with your keywords to improve your online visibility!

Looking for help?

Want to improve your business game by having a delivery game? Then look no further than Linkeo Ltd. A website and delivery service are essential today to have a successful business, and Linkeo Ltd can help you with that. They offer a 3 month trial period with no commitment. So what are you waiting for? Call them today to learn more about their delivery option, which will help your business.