Prabhu RamIf you are among those who are thrilled to once again see food delivery boys all around, or plan to visit a restaurant and does not get reservation or have to fight for one — as COVID-19 caseloads surge by nearly one lakh a day in India — mind you that this situation does not add up.Why are people risking lives to satisfy their palate through food orders, as India readies to become the top country with infected cases very soon (it crossed 60 lakh cases on Sunday), surpassing the US? Is there an explanation to why the online food delivery market has recovered to (and even grown beyond) pre-Covid levels in a number of large pockets in the country?
The answer is simple: To a large population, the coronavirus fear is now over, as they scramble to start living their weekend lives the way they used to be in the pre-Covid era.
Plus, top fine-dining restaurants and five-star hotels — from Marriott International to Grand Hyatt — are now taking orders for gourmet food with curated menus and innovative packaging via online delivery platforms like Swiggy and Zomato, delivering themselves from kitchen to your home.
According to Prabhu Ram, Head- Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR, the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to a rapid shift in consumer behaviour, and giving rise to an all-new neo normal’ consumer.
“After months of being socially isolated and with an urge to break free, consumers are slowly pivoting from being overly-cautious to experimenting with online food delivery,” Ram told IANS.
“With more gourmet cuisine now available for home order from premium restaurants and five-star hotels, consumers now have an irresistible palette of choices,” he added.
Source: Free Press Journal
