The demand for food delivery has fallen since Singapore lifted Covid-19 curbs last year, but it remains higher than pre-pandemic levels, say food delivery platforms and food and beverage players.
Commenting on the appetite for food delivery dipping after Singapore's reopening, Neeta Lachmandas, Executive Director of the SMU Institute of Service Excellence, said platforms will need to move beyond their food delivery roots and expand the range of products available for delivery in order to remain competitive. Besides groceries, she noted that some platforms have ventured into providing healthcare products such as Covid-19 test kits and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, allowing the “near-instant delivery of a packet of paracetamol”. “If the delivery app can reliably and consistently provide a wide range of products, especially with perishables, it can strengthen its relevance with users as they start to depend on it for daily essentials,” she said.