The Rise of Online Ordering in QSRs
QSRs are an integral food service model. They’re convenient to use both in-person and online. As digitization swept the restaurant industry the past two years, fast food shouldered the change particularly well. Counter service is easier to transform into takeout and delivery, especially if you already have a drive-thru ready to use.
Contactless service became a must in the early days of the pandemic, so it makes sense that online takeout rose sharply last year. From mobile apps to ghost kitchens, touch-free delivery became vital to consumers. Once they saw the ease and convenience of ordering and paying like that, online ordering had cemented its place in QSRs for good.
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How Different Age Groups Use QSRs
While digitization has been growing, that doesn’t mean that everyone uses online channels the same amount. Customers tend to choose QSRs because they’re cheap, convenient, and a good excuse to get together with friends. Yet not everyone orders the same way. According to one study:
52% of baby boomers prefer ordering in person, compared to 16% using online methods.
Gen Z favors online ordering, with 46% trending that way.
A greater fraction of Millennials prefer online ordering compared to Gen Z consumers.
Clearly this shows that digitization matters, but in-person interactions aren’t going anywhere soon. It’s not necessarily a generational upwards trend either way. Thus restaurants should keep strengthening online channels, without neglecting in-person service too. As we “get back to normal,” more people are comfortable coming out to restaurants for real.
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Making the Most of Online and In-Person Orders
The most successful QSRs moving forward will be those diversifying their sales channels. In-person orders are invaluable, and often come with higher average check sizes, but online sales have their benefits too. For example, brand loyalty. People are growing wary of giving out their personal information to so many businesses, for them to track and use their data. Thus customers are likely to find one place where they want to put their trust and business, and stick with it. Shore up your loyalty program to handle in-person and online customers, and retention will follow.
No matter which service method you prioritize, flexibility should remain key. That’s why restaurants often choose to run on state-of-the-art technology even if online ordering isn’t their primary sales tool. Smart Point of Sales streamline communication for guests and staff. Meanwhile, they also capture sales data from every channel, so they can complete accurate analysis and give real-time reports that better your business.
