During the Circuit Breaker period, food delivery services have saved the lives of Singaporeans more than once.
Chocolate-ketchup spaghetti, anyone?
But turns out, that’s not the only thing they saved.
According to a new study, food delivery platforms have managed to save jobs too.
Over 110,000 F&B jobs, to be exact.
If Not for Food Delivery Platforms, 110,000 F&B Jobs Could Be Lost During Circuit Breaker
A new study by Capital Economics which surveyed Deliveroo’s restaurant partners said that over 110,000 jobs were saved because food delivery services helped kept that eco-system going when everyone was not allowed to eat out over the two-month period.
In terms of money, food delivery services helped support a S$2 billion turnover for partner restaurants.
In effect, these food delivery services helped “keep parts of the hospitality sectors ongoing” and kept the cost to the government down.
Now you know why a chicken rice stall owner actually gave free nasi lemak to food delivery riders to thank them for their service, eh?
Many Restaurants Joined Food Delivery Services During Circuit Breaker
It might be hard to imagine but seven months ago, restaurants and F&B eateries were told to stack up all their chairs and put away their tables.
No one is allowed to eat out, the authorities said.
And those who try, well, they’ve definitely regretted it.
According to a TNP report, about 2,000 restaurant partners joined up with Deliveroo for the first time during the April-May Circuit Breaker.
Takagi Ramen Singapore, a Japanese ramen retail chain across Singapore, told the media that it was because of their partnership with Deliveroo and other food delivery services which allows them to switch their model within a short timeframe.
With the infrastructure already in place, Takagi Ramen also saved quite a bit of money when realigning themselves.
The money saved allowed them to retrain staff into different areas such as dishwashing, packer and even social distancing ambassadors for the outlets.
The various food delivery services’ self-pickup option was good for them too.
Deliveroo, which had commissioned the study, said that it was proud to “bolster the local restaurant sector”, and will continue to work “closely” with its restaurant partners.
Food Delivery: An Essential Service in S’pore
By the way, food delivery services aren’t just important to restaurant partners.
They’re equally important and popular among people in Singapore.
According to a recent report by Grab, the group revenue has already recovered to 95% of pre-Covid-19 levels.
The best part? More than 50% of the revenue actually came from GrabFood, Grab’s food delivery arm.
You can read more about it here.
Featured Image: nrqemi / Shutterstock.com