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These evenings, UAE residents have dates in front of a television or other screen. Inviting them to dinner is part of the action.
Image Credit: Supplied
DUBAI: As expected, with the evenings busy with World Cup matches in Doha, more and more Emirati consumers are ordering in their dinners and online shopping for quick delivery of their grocery needs. The average value of takeaway orders has also risen since the start of the World Cup on Nov. 20, according to restaurant industry sources.
Sales could have been better had it not been for Zomato UAE’s decision to cease food delivery operations from November 24, they added. According to market feedback, although Zomato UAE users are automatically transferred to Talabat, they still need to make some adjustments. (Zomato UAE has a particularly strong following among Indian and other South Asian residents.)
Cloud kitchen operators in Dubai have also recorded rapid growth in demand, as TV dinners become a popular trend ahead of the final whistle of the World Cup on December 18.
But the real action in the UAE delivery business will only start with the knockout stage, leading up to the final on December 18. said Sanjay Vazirani, CEO of Foodlink Global Restaurants & Catering Services. “Many times, (food ordering and delivery) aggregators are unable to manage rider orders.
“We think the UAE consumer is still enthusiastic about FIFA and expect a better response. We had high hopes from the start of hosting matches for the most popular teams.”
Dining is good
Ahead of the first game on November 20, restaurateurs in the UAE have been concerned that demand for dining could be significantly reduced, as customers are more likely to spend time at home or in fan areas, where they can focus on the game unfolding on TV Screen. Don’t worry about what to order.
But so far, dine-in services are rated as stable, although some operators did admit to being a bit slow last Sunday. This weekend promises to be an even better one, and next week as the holidays extend – starting with UAE National Day – restaurants are expected to see some big action. (As long as they can provide TV screens showing the games, some would add.)
“We are running World Cup meal platters for delivery with aggregators,” said the head of one of the largest F&B franchisees in the UAE. “While specific platters have not performed as we expected, overall delivery transactions have increased by around 10% . This may be the World Cup effect.”
call in
Online shopping was another big winner this season, with a fair number of shoppers booking an all-night football game here. Early feedback on Black Friday sales confirmed strong demand for apparel and accessories-related deals. (Travel experiences are another big spending trend on the minds of UAE consumers, which should become evident after the National Day holiday and 15 December.)
In online shopping, ‘Q-commerce’ is racing to become one of the fastest growing verticals as more players offer these services. Q-commerce involves online orders delivered in around 30 minutes.
A Q-commerce service provider said: “The food delivery business in the UAE has grown from pure food delivery to groceries, daily/weekly shopping essentials and more categories. There has been a considerable increase in express delivery services this year, and the World Cup Night is just picking up the pace.”
There’s still a lot of ordering and delivery to do before the finale…
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