- DoorDash added a location tracking feature for pickup orders so that restaurants can know when you are getting close and can have your order ready the moment you arrive.
- You will have to opt-in to the feature, so your location won’t be tracked automatically.
- DoorDash also shared some interesting statistics about pickup in the time of coronavirus.
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Restaurants were forced to adapt quickly when the novel coronavirus pandemic arrived. Having dozens of customers sitting feet from one another was no longer safe, and in many countries around the world, restaurants had no choice but to eliminate dine-in altogether until the spread of the virus was under control.
As a result, delivery and pickup have skyrocketed, as has the usage of apps and services like DoorDash. It has been almost two years since DoorDash gave merchants the option to allow customers to place an order online for carryout, and on Wednesday, the company announced that it will bolster the feature by giving customers the ability to opt-in to share their location so that merchants will know when they are getting close.
“During this time when social-distance measures are continuing to be enforced, we wanted to make sure customers weren’t waiting for long at the curb for their order to be ready,” the company explained on its blog. “Now, if customers choose to opt-in to share their location data when the app is running, merchants will be alerted when the customer is approaching the store so they can have their order ready upon arrival.”
The less time that customers spend waiting, the more efficient the merchant can be. So if you are willing to give up a little more privacy, you can help speed along the process when you arrive to pick up your order.
In addition to the new location-sharing feature for pickup orders, DoorDash also shared the results of a survey that it conducted about takeout, and some of the data that the company compiled is pretty interesting:
- 56% of customers said the amount they ordered takeout has increased during the pandemic.
- Consumers aged 35–54 increased their amount of takeout orders the most in March and April.
- One in five parents said they are opting for takeout just to go for a drive or have some alone time.
- 44% of respondents said affordability was the top reason they chose pickup over delivery.
- 82% of respondents said they take their food home to eat it after they pick it up.
“We’re doing all that we can to serve our community at a time when delivery and pickup have become lifelines for restaurants to earn sales and for customers to access a hot meal safely and affordably,” says DoorDash. “So whether you’re looking to pick up a quick lunch nearby in between Zoom meetings or want to take a walk after work and scoop up dinner on the route, we’re here for you. Just toggle to the Pickup button at the top of the app.”
