Zomato’s New “Food Rescue” Feature Aims to Cut Food Waste – Here’s How You Can Benefit Food waste is a massive problem in the delivery industry, with millions
Food waste is a massive problem in the delivery industry, with millions of meals getting tossed out every year. To combat this, Zomato, one of India’s leading food delivery services, has introduced a game-changing feature called “Food Rescue.” This new initiative aims to tackle food wastage by allowing nearby customers to claim cancelled orders at discounted prices, keeping perfectly good meals from going to waste.
In this article, we break down everything you need to know about this exciting new feature and how you can take advantage of it the next time you order from Zomato.
Food waste is a growing issue in the food delivery world. According to Zomato, over 400,000 orders are cancelled every month for various reasons, creating a lot of food waste. Zomato co-founder Deepinder Goyal pointed out how cancelled orders contribute to unnecessary wastage despite efforts to reduce these cancellations.
“Cancelled orders will now pop up for nearby customers, who can grab them at an unbeatable price, in their original untampered packaging, and receive them in just minutes,” Goyal said. The goal is simple: to minimize food waste and redirect food to people who can actually use it, without compromising the quality or freshness of the meal.
The Food Rescue feature works in a simple but innovative way. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how it functions:
When a customer cancels their order, it doesn’t just get thrown away. Instead, it’s made available to nearby customers within a 3 km radius of the delivery partner holding the food. This allows people who are close by to snap up the meal at a heavily discounted price, helping the food get to someone who can actually use it.
The process is time-sensitive. Once a cancelled order is made available for rescue, there’s only a small window of time for nearby customers to claim it before it becomes unavailable. This ensures the food stays fresh and doesn’t sit around for too long.
Some items, like ice creams and shakes, are excluded from the program because of their delicate nature. These types of food require special handling to remain fresh and safe for consumption, so they aren’t included in the feature.
Zomato ensures that the original customer who cancelled the order doesn’t receive notifications about their own cancelled meal being offered to others. This avoids any awkwardness or confusion and maintains discretion. Instead, the system prioritizes nearby customers who might be interested in rescuing the food.
When a customer claims a cancelled order, they get it at a discounted price. Zomato then splits the payment between the restaurant and the original customer (if they had paid online). Zomato itself does not take any share of the payment, except for taxes, meaning that the company is only focused on saving food from going to waste rather than profiting from it.
The Food Rescue feature is a win for everyone involved: the restaurants, customers, and delivery partners. Let’s take a look at the benefits for each:
Even when an order is cancelled, the restaurant gets paid in full for the meal. When the meal is “rescued” by a nearby customer, the restaurant gets an additional share from the resale, providing them with some incentive to continue participating in the program. This helps the restaurant maintain its revenue and reduces waste at the same time.
Delivery partners who are involved in both the original delivery and the “rescued” rerouted trip will be fully compensated for both the initial and the second delivery. This ensures that delivery personnel aren’t losing out on income and continue to participate in the initiative.
For customers who love a good deal, Food Rescue offers the chance to grab a perfectly good meal at a discounted price. It’s a great way to save money while also helping reduce food waste. Additionally, you get the same meal, packed fresh and in its original packaging, without worrying about it being tampered with.
The Food Rescue feature is just one of the many recent initiatives from Zomato designed to improve the overall experience for customers, restaurants, and delivery partners. Zomato has been focusing on sustainability and minimizing food wastage, as evidenced by their ongoing commitment to this new feature. This move is part of a larger effort in the food delivery industry to cut waste, boost efficiency, and create a more sustainable business model.
In addition to Food Rescue, Zomato has introduced several other customer-centric features in recent months:
Zomato launched Brand Packs earlier this year, allowing users to purchase coupon-based discounts from their favorite brands. It’s a great way for regular customers to save money on their orders.
Another handy feature Zomato rolled out is the ability to view your total order history, which makes it easier to track your previous orders and reorder your favorites with just a click.
In April, Zomato also tested a paid priority delivery feature that lets customers speed up their orders for a small extra fee. This was a hit among people who wanted their meals faster and more efficiently.
Zomato has also tested a “pay later” feature, giving customers the flexibility to make payments after their food has been delivered, offering more freedom for when and how they pay.
With Food Rescue, Zomato has taken a major step towards reducing food waste in the food delivery industry. By giving customers the chance to grab discounted meals that would otherwise go to waste, the company is tackling two major issues: food wastage and rising food costs.
Not only does this feature benefit customers, but it also provides restaurants and delivery partners with a sustainable way to participate in the solution. As the world becomes more focused on sustainability, features like Food Rescue could be a game-changer for the food delivery industry, inspiring other companies to follow suit.
