Zomato has unveiled a new initiative titled ‘Food Rescue’, aimed at reducing food wastage resulting from cancelled orders.
The feature will offer cancelled orders to other nearby customers at a discounted rate in its original, sealed package, ensuring that food remains fresh and safe for consumption.
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By GlobalDataWhen an order is cancelled, the cancellation will be visible on the app to customers within a 3km radius of the delivery partner carrying the order.
These meals will be listed on the Zomato app, accessible only for a brief period to guarantee the food’s freshness.
However, neither the individual who initially cancelled the order nor those nearby can claim the meal, preserving customer privacy and preventing potential misuse of the feature.
Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal said: “We don’t encourage order cancellations at Zomato because it leads to a tremendous amount of food wastage.
“In spite of stringent policies, and a no-refund policy for cancellations, more than four lakh [400,000] perfectly good orders get cancelled on Zomato, for various reasons by customers. The top concern for us, the restaurant industry, and even the customers who cancel these orders is to somehow save the food from going to waste.”
The process for acquiring a cancelled order is straightforward and the financial aspect of this initiative is designed to benefit all parties involved.
When a new customer purchases a cancelled order, the original customer would receive a share of the payment if they paid online.
The restaurant partner also receives compensation while Zomato only retains necessary government taxes.
Orders that include items prone to spoilage or melting such as ice cream and smoothies are excluded from the ‘Food Rescue’ feature.
Additionally, customers with dietary preferences are catered for; vegetarians will only be shown vegetarian options.
Restaurant partners have been integrated into this new system with minimal disruption.
They can monitor ‘Food Rescue’ orders through their existing apps and receive their share of any new sales through weekly payout statements.
Participation is optional, with restaurants having the ability to opt out via their app or dashboard.
Last month, Zomato announced the launch of its order scheduling feature, providing customers with the flexibility to schedule food deliveries from two hours to two days in advance.
The new service was made available at more than 35,000 restaurants across 30 cities, including Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad.
