The food delivery industry faces a major challenge with food wastage. Recognizing this, Zomato has launched its ‘Food Rescue’ initiative, a big step towards addressing this issue by repurposing canceled orders. Through this feature, customers can buy canceled orders at a discounted price, reducing food waste and offering cost savings. Here’s a detailed look at how this feature works, its impact on customers and restaurants, and why it’s a noteworthy move for sustainability.
A Simple Yet Effective Concept
When an order is canceled on Zomato, it doesn’t automatically go to waste. Instead, these canceled meals/orders become available for nearby customers within a 3-kilometer radius at a discounted rate. This quick offering allows customers to enjoy good food at the lowest prices, while simultaneously helping to minimize wastage.
Introduced by Zomato’s co-founder and CEO, Deepinder Goyal, the initiative is a response to the 400,000 orders cancelled monthly due to various reasons, despite a strict no-refund policy. By making canceled orders available to other customers, Zomato aims to reduce food wastage affecting the restaurant food industry.
Maintaining Freshness and Quality
To keep food fresh, customers can only claim a canceled order for a limited time. Quick turnarounds are especially crucial for temperature-sensitive foods. Items that could be compromised, such as ice creams and smoothies, are excluded from the program to ensure customer safety and food quality.
How Payments and Benefits Are Distributed
When a new customer purchases a canceled order, the payment is shared with the original customer (if they paid online) and the restaurant partner, with Zomato keeping only the government taxes. This approach benefits not only the customers but also the restaurant partners, who can get back some costs from canceled orders.
Additionally, delivery partners receive full compensation for the trip, from picking up the food at the restaurant to delivering it to the new customer. This ensures that every party in the food delivery process is fairly compensated, promoting participation in the Food Rescue initiative.
Positive Customer and Restaurant Impact
The response from customers and restaurants has been highly positive. For customers, this initiative offers a chance to enjoy quality meals at lower prices, while restaurants benefit from cost recovery on canceled items. This innovative approach not only reduces waste but also builds a sense of community among users. As customers make sustainable choices by purchasing discounted meals that would otherwise go to waste, they contribute to a more responsible and efficient food ecosystem.
In summary, Zomato’s Food Rescue initiative is a commendable step towards a sustainable future. Through technology and community engagement, Zomato is not only tackling food waste but also improving a culture of sustainability and conscious consumption in the food delivery industry. comment below if you like this feature.
