Deliveroo announces today the results of its Deliveroo for Business survey, in which nearly 100 corporate partners with over 10,000 employees were polled to reveal changing workplace food habits amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Main findings reveal that businesses in Hong Kong are eager to embrace more workplace catering options, as well as extend food allowances and rewards to employees working from home.
2020 saw many offices throughout the city adopt new work from home policies. 91% of Deliveroo’s corporate clients have implemented various types of work from home or flexible work arrangements since the start of the pandemic. With more than half of businesses (55%) surveyed saying they plan to maintain this way of working for the foreseeable future, Deliveroo is seeking new ways to assist its Deliveroo for Business partners, and offer solutions to their employees so that they feel engaged, connected and rewarded whether they are working in offices or remotely. With more remote work being adopted, still companies have yet to implement new measures in view of this. 34% of companies have not organised any virtual social events since the outbreak of Covid, and 47% of companies wanted to organise events or celebrations but were not able to because of the pandemic.
Jeanette Smerin, Head of Deliveroo for Business, Hong Kong & Singapore, said: “We understand that the past year has been a difficult one for team and company bonding with the ongoing social distancing restrictions, but despite the challenges we remain dedicated to creating new and exciting ways to bring Deliveroo perks to our client’s employees. As staff parties, year-end celebrations and holiday events have long been linked to employee appreciation and boosting staff morale, we are working with our partners to optimise services that can conveniently reward staff from the comfort of their homes. This includes offering vouchers from Deliveroo partnered restaurants and on-demand grocery stores so that employees can easily order their favourite food or grocery items to their home.”
Last year Deliveroo announced grocery delivery partnership with British retailer Marks & Spencer, renowned convenience chain 7/11 and Japanese mega-store Don Don Donki to deliver not only delicious food but also household items. These services are not only seen as a valued company perk, but are beneficial in a practical sense, with Deliveroo on-demand grocery services on the rise and more neighbourhoods beginning to offer a variety of popular restaurant options.
With Hong Kong infamous for its late working hours, whether it be from the office or at home, 45% of companies polled revealed that they offer individual food allowances to employees, however only 10% allow employees to order from anywhere they want. With work from home trends showing no signs of abating, Deliveroo is encouraging more companies to adopt flexible ordering policies, which will subsequently help foster a more caring corporate culture, particularly if they adopt health-focused food allowances. Currently, nearly half (47%) of employers from the survey said they had provided team lunch orders in the past, while 34% offered snacks and sweets, and 29% opted to give employees fresh fruit. With food being a vital tool in maintaining healthy and attentive employees, companies would be advised to expand their offerings outside the office, with 35% of those polled limiting their food orders to the workplace, in comparison to home-based orders.a
Other data within the survey revealed that Chinese cuisine was the most popular to order for office meals (71%), followed by Western (65%), and Japanese (57%). 38% reported ordering salads, a trend Deliveroo expects to increase as more health-focused policies may be adopted post-COVID-19. Meanwhile 74% of businesses listed employee preference as the key factor when they consider which restaurants to order from, showing a growing interest amongst employers in listening and responding to the needs of their teams. The survey also found that online food platforms now have an important role to play in how people recycle, with 77% of surveyed partners indicating that they are more inclined to order from restaurants that supply eco-friendly packaging, an encouraging figure that will likely push the industry into adopting more sustainable practices.
Smerin added: “Here at Deliveroo for Business, we’re committed to catering to our clients’ needs and expanding our DFB offerings whether it be in office catering, or at home solutions from our restaurants partners or on-demand grocery services or corporate pantry services. That is why the survey is vital to unlocking evolving trends and keeping up to date with the city’s ever-changing needs. We are interested to learn that companies would welcome pantry services providing fruits and snacks to their employees. As we create new campaigns and release new offers to keep spirits up throughout the pandemic and beyond, we are dedicated to providing more options for companies in this new working style in the future.”
As more employers embrace Deliveroo for Business and see the potential for its office catering services, the food delivery platform is dedicated to expanding its corporate offerings. For instance, Deliveroo is exploring the possibility of adding a corporate pantry subscript on service this year to offer companies snacks, fruits, and nuts in the office – 58% of respondents indicated that they would be interested in this type of service. Deliveroo also remains committed to providing new and innovative employee reward-based schemes, such as gift cards to restaurant partners and grocery stores, as well as helping companies to improve on their green credentials.