Click for Food: How QSR’s are slowly biting into the online ordering trend
With Australian online retailers expecting roughly $10 billion in revenues, according to research from IBISWorld, some QSR’s are beginning to explore the possibilities of online ordering.
But the pace of adoption is not as rapid as one would expect, if only because the transaction charges can be prohibitive for consumers and developing a full-blown online ordering system involves meticulous development work.
“We are presently reviewing online ordering alternatives for the business. Trials to date have been successful but we are finding transaction charges associated with on line ordering are expensive, and these could be an inhibitor to take up, said Brett Carman, GM, Salsa’s Fresh Mex Grill.
Pizza Inn, which currently offers an online menu feature via their website, is also in the review stages for expanding their Internet-based services: “Recently updated our website and are currently reviewing providers to introduce this to our customers,” said Ron Browne, Franchise Manager, Pizza Inn.
Others like Sunshine Kebabs are keen on capturing the mobile market, a particularly fast-growing avenue for online ordering. “We have a new website soon to be launched. The later stages of that website and the its mobile version will have provisions for online ordering,” said Murat Coskun, CEO, Sunshine Kebabs.
This is could be due to the surging use of Internet-capable phones. Nearly half of all Australian mobile phone users owned an Internet-capable phone as of 2010, with a third accessing them frequently for online activities, based on a Nielsen research. While the majority spent their mobile online time searching Google and browsing social networks, presumably a portion of this was also allocated for online ordering.
For other franchises, establishing an online ordering presence doesn’t have to mean creating a dedicated website. Pacific Retail Management, for example, has tied up with the E-Cater, which in turn forwards inquiries and orders to the individual cafes under the Pacific Retail Management group like Go Sushi!
“After a significant increase in catering enquiries through the websites in 2011, we have recently launched online catering through E-Cater. Consumers can get here through the brand websites or through E-Cater directly. We are also equipped for and receive wholesale enquiries through the website for local schools and businesses etc,” said Nicola Mills, MD, Pacific Retail Management.
