Some pandemic habits persist: ubiquitous disinfectant dispensers, for example. Or food deliveries. Delivery services exploded as restaurants closed — but growth at Just Eat, Uber Eats and Co. continues even after the pandemic. This is illustrated by annual figures from various providers, including the market report from Just Eat (formerly Eat.ch), which Blick was able to preview.
“To be honest, I’m a little surprised that we continue to grow,” says Lukas Streich, 40, Managing Director of Just Eat, the largest food delivery platform in Switzerland.
The company does not disclose exact figures. That’s all: the growth curve is pointing straight up. “We had some things to catch up on, especially in rural areas,” Streich says.
Hangover pizza and the World Cup effect
One possible explanation for the growth after the pandemic is over: people are partying again more often and using the pizza delivery service on weekends instead of cooking their own meals when they have a hangover. This shows that orders on Saturday and Sunday, the typical nights out and sobering up, have risen particularly sharply.
At the moment, food suppliers are also feeling the effects of the World Cup: “We get more orders on match days, especially when playing for the Swiss national team,” says Streich.
Top 10 most popular dishes when ordering food:
- Pizza Margherita
- citizens
- cheese burger
- fried potatoes
- Pizza Prosciutto and Mushrooms
- tacos
- desired pizza
- Tiramisu
- Kebab in pocket bread
- pizza hawaii
The Swiss stay true to themselves when it comes to their food choices. Pizza and burgers have been high in the rankings for years.
Also, vegetarian and vegan options are on the rise. Uber Eats is talking about a 30 percent increase in this category.
Restaurants will raise prices
And the traditional kitchen is making a comeback. More and more people are ordering schnitzel, bratwurst and cordon bleu to take home. “I explain this with the global political situation,” Streich says. “In times of uncertainty, you miss the tried and tested.”
However, inflation and energy shortages could soon become a problem for restaurants and thus ordering platforms like Just Eat and Uber Eats. The new electricity tariffs will be effective from January. “Many restaurants are likely to pass on high electricity prices to their customers, which could affect demand,” Streich said.
Regular customer ordered 20,000 francs
With the upcoming holiday, a profitable period awaits cargo companies. In the last twelve months, December 27 and January 2 have been among the strongest days for Just Eat. Many probably had an empty refrigerator after the holidays. There was also an extraordinary amount of orders on Valentine’s Day.
The highest bill for a single order from Just Eat was 1,400 francs. Delivered in the canton of Lucerne. Even the most expensive order this year at Uber cost more than 3,600 francs!
Gallen has ordered more than 20,000 francs from Just Eat in the last twelve months. That’s an average of 400 francs a week!