Zomato is stirring up online food delivery services with a new initiative to reduce food wastage. Now, canceled online food orders will not necessarily lead to packed food going to waste - courtesy of the ‘Food Rescue’ deal presented by this delivery platform.
This innovative deal tackles a significant issue faced by Zomato, where over 400,000 orders are canceled each month. Food rescue allows nearby users to claim a freshly canceled order at a discounted price, presenting an eco and wallet-friendly solution to a growing problem.
“Inspite of stringent policies, and a no-refund policy for cancellations, more than 4 lakh perfectly good orders get canceled on Zomato, for various reasons by customers. The top concern for us, the restaurant industry, and even the customers who cancel these orders is to somehow save the food from going to waste,” said Deepinder Goyal, founder of Zomato in a post on social media platform X.
How Does This Work for The Consumers?
Imagine this scenario - you are scrolling through Zomato trying to find something while craving a quick meal. Suddenly, a deal pops up to grab a food order at an unbeatable price, in its original untampered packaging, and receive it in just minutes!
Sounds interesting? This is how the deal works for you:
1) Through Food Rescue, Zomato will identify orders that were canceled after preparation and will alert nearby users, within a 3 km radius, to claim them at a reduced price.
2) The order will reach the customer in its original packaging, untouched.
3) Zomato claims that such orders will be delivered within a few minutes.
This will allow you to snag great food at discounted prices while also ensuring a prepared meal doesn’t go to waste.
The window to claim such an offer will remain open for only a few minutes, creating a fun, flash sale-style experience for food lovers.
However, orders that include items sensitive to distances or temperature such as beverages including shakes, ice creams, smoothies, and certain perishable items, will not be eligible for the Food Rescue deal.
Additionally, those who prefer vegetarian meals will only see veggie orders, preventing any mismatches in such food preferences.
Not A Total Loss For Original Customers!
Canceling an order, under a food rescue deal, will not be a total loss for the original customer. Zomato has included some perks wherein if the order is pre-paid online, the original customer will receive a partial refund from the amount paid by the new customer.
The restaurant partners will also receive compensation for the prepared food and get a share of the revenue from the Food Rescue claim.
As for delivery partners, since they have to deliver the food to a new location, the platform says it will compensate them fully for the entire trip. This will cover the initial pickup at the restaurant to the final (changes or new) drop-off.
The food delivery platform has further stated that it will not keep any proceeds from this deal except the required government taxes.
Food Rescue could be a win-win deal for everyone involved: for consumers, it offers a low-cost way to grab a meal that would otherwise go to waste and for restaurants, it ensures minimal revenue loss on canceled orders. So, next time you are on Zomato, keep an eye out for a Food Rescue deal near you that might just score you a meal that is good for both your pocket and the planet!
