As the world grapples with the phantom menace that’s Darth Covid-19, food delivery services, once thought to be the bane of pride and advocator of extreme laziness, have flourished well beyond any initial investor’s dream.
“Since the Covid-19 outbreak, businesses have soared by some 1500%!” CEO of local food delivery service TheFlyingBull, Niel Tellington, exclaims. “Retail outlets might be waning as more and more people choose to stay home, but food delivery services are thriving!”
And indeed, as the outbreak extends its reach, food delivery services have become the preferred go-to for those fearful of the virus, and those tired of the 1-min walk to the nearest hawker centre.
Never mind the delivery fee; convenience is worth every cent, or at least that’s what can be surmised.
But here’s the thing: businesses have always revolved around the age-old cycle of supply and demand. And when demand’s sky-high like right now…
Things are bound to change.
Note: The above paragraph is all speculatory. The actual facts lie below.
GrabFood Will Have Min. Order Of $8 & $0.20 Surcharge From 13 Mar Onwards
According to MustShareNews, GrabFood will be introducing a “minimum basket value” of $8 for its deliveries, effective from Friday (13 March). So all those paltry deliveries you’ve become so accustomed to making?
They’ll be way costlier from 13 March onwards.
And that’s not all either. From 27 March onwards, a platform fee of $0.20 will be applicable for every GrabFood order.
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Wait, Slow Down… How Does It Work?
From 13 March onwards, you’re liable to pay “a small order fee” to “make up the difference” if your order fails to hit the minimum basket value.
According to Grab, the move ensures that all orders are “worthwhile” for their merchants and delivery partners.
You can witness the original announcement down below:
As for the platform fee, it will be applicable whether your order hits the minimum order value or not.
The additional $0.20 fee will reportedly “go towards improving the overall GrabFood experience and service quality”.
Not Exactly A Groundbreaking Move
Prior to GrabFood’s announcements, local delivery services like FoodPanda and Deliveroo have already been utilising such “minimum basket value” models.
Foodpanda requires a customer to spend at least $5 in a single order to avoid additional charges, while Deliveroo has a $12 minimum basket value policy.
Prior to today, Deliveroo also practised a $0.20 “service fee” policy.
A Sign Of The Times? Or A Mere Coincidence?
It’s easy to accredit GrabFood’s latest move to the Coronavirus outbreak. More people staying at home equates to more people ordering food online, right? Well, that sounds logical enough.
However, given the fact that other local food delivery services have been practising such “minimum basket value” policies for some time, and the notion that Deliveroo was the first to start with a $0.20 delivery fee, it’s best to give GrabFood the benefit of the doubt.
Though with that in mind, there are two things you should take away with you from this article:
- Small orders are no longer worthwhile
- Food delivery services are getting pricier and pricier
And considering how food items online are already jacked up from their original prices in-store, it’s advisable for users not to get reliant on such services, Coronavirus or not.
Instead, walk across the street, get some food, and you’ll have saved yourself some precious money for lunch the next day.