Deliveroo today announces the formation of its new SMB team which will provide long-term support to Hong Kong’s small and medium restaurants, as they confront the coronavirus’ effects on business. Additionally, Deliveroo will sponsor a bespoke three-week-long 15 episodes television series and a large scale social media campaign hosted by ERROR, a local popular boy band that will feature over 300 small and independent restaurant partners starting tomorrow, boosting their brand awareness and visibility. Also launching this month is a HK$5 million-worth ZA F&B Relief Fund co-set up by ZA International and Towngas, which will provide support to Deliveroo partnered restaurants and staff affected by Covid-19 diagnoses. These announcements build on other recent Deliveroo initiatives to support restaurants amidst ongoing challenges, including a 20-30% discount for all Pickup orders in selected restaurants between July and August, reducing restaurant Pickup commission rates to 3% until the end of September, extended delivery until 11:30pm, launching breakfast services and activation of the “HeretoDeliver” campaign.
Deliveroo’s new relief measures will support restaurant partners, particularly small and medium local businesses, who are now facing numerous headwinds from the third wave of the pandemic. Deliveroo has created a new additional team to oversee and help with direct relief to local SMBs – The team is set to become a permanent fixture for Deliveroo Hong Kong and specializes in providing small and medium-sized restaurants with practical advice and providing support when needed, whether through promoting the restaurants through Deliveroo’s channels, sharing successful business references, or helping restaurants to develop virtual brands.
To further support local and independent small operators, Deliveroo has collaborated with ZA International to provide emergency aid. With the HK$5 million-worth ZA F&B Relief Fund co-set up by ZA International and Towngas, if a Deliveroo partner restaurant is unfortunately suspended due to a COVID-19 case linked to the premises, the employer can go through a simple series of steps to apply for an one-off emergency aid of HK$50,000. In addition, eligible employees who are diagnosed with COVID-19 will be provided a financial support of HK$20,000 under the ZA Relief Fund, which offers coverage of HK$6 million to registered members of ZA Fam.
Deliveroo has also activated its “HereToDeliver” campaign, investing in a multi-channel mass marketing plan to help restaurants reach their target customers by letting customers know they are still operating for delivery and Pickup. This is on top of the HK$30 million the food delivery company invested since COVID to support restaurants. Over the past few weeks, Deliveroo customers have been able to find over 2,000 discount offers on the platform at any given time for both Pickup and delivery, and the launch of Breakfast. The newest addition to the “HereToDeliver” campaign will see Deliveroo partnering with a local television station to broadcast a three week-long F&B TV show starting this week; investing in a large-scale social media campaign promoting by ERROR, a popular local boy band to feature over 300 local small and independent restaurant partners on the platform starting tomorrow. With Deliveroo’s help, restaurant partners can gain additional exposure amongst the general public and highlight their excellent plates and delicious deals.
Earlier this month, Deliveroo lobbied the Hong Kong government to provide additional relief measures to the F&B sector, proposing a series of key policy suggestions to help the industry recover through this challenging period and thrive in the future. A recent survey of Deliveroo’s small and independent restaurant partners with over 2,000 respondents conducted between May to August revealed that more than 50% are facing the prospect of immediate business suspension. Many predict that if the current situation continues, within the next three months they will be forced to permanently close or even pushed to bankruptcy.
Brian Lo, General Manager of Deliveroo Hong Kong, said, “As Hong Kong’s F&B sector continues to face unprecedented challenges, Deliveroo is committed to acting with urgency and building on our past actions to support restaurants, hungry patrons and riders. Local small restaurants provide Hong Kong with a food culture that is both unique and vital to the city. Many local restaurants are fixtures in their specific neighbourhoods, with dishes that are cherished in the hearts and stomachs of many Hong Kongers. We know that it is our duty here at Deliveroo to protect these longstanding institutions and remain vigilant and provide our restaurant partners with thoughtful strategies that will help them weather the economic anxieties they have been faced with, That is why we have called upon the government to offer further support to the F&B industry, while we are hard at work with our own SMB and marketing team, who have given their full support and are ready to do even more for small and independent operators.”
