Savvy operators not only look to peers around the country for trends but around the globe. Two new international surveys contain insights they will want to see.
One is from across the pond. According to the Voice of the Industry Survey 2024 conducted by EuroMonitor, loyalty programs are gaining in traction. The survey showed that 39 percent of food-service experts believe the most important commerce-specific developments in the next year will be in customer-loyalty programs. It notes the importance of moving beyond the transactional and committing to hyper-personalization in consumer interactions.
Up north, DoorDash Canada has shared data from its annual Online Ordering Trends Report. For the early birds, it reports 45 percent in growth in orders from 5 to 11 a.m. It’s also reporting positive movement in the stay-up-late sector, with 36 percent growth from midnight to 5 a.m.
It also shows that consumers are creatures of habit, with 33 percent of consumers placing repeat orders at least once a week, which could signal an opportunity for restaurants to pursue loyalty relationships, which is what the Europeans are also saying.
The most popular items ordered on DoorDash Canada are chicken dishes, sandwiches, pizza, sushi, and vegetable tempura. Vegetable tempura? Not poutine? Oh Canada.
