iFood, the Brazilian food delivery scale-up, creates new takeout solution

Contxto – The Brazilian last-mile delivery startup worth over US$1 billion, iFood, recently launched a “pra retirar” (meaning “takeout” in Portuguese) option to help customers save money.  

In Summary

Reports say that iFood has been testing this initiative since the beginning of June. Although takeout was already available on the app, only certain São Paulo-based restaurants implemented it. These include Gendai, Pizza Hut and Habib’s.

Moving forward, the food delivery portal intends to expand this feature to other partners across Brazil.

“The next step will be to take this service to the main capitals of the country and some inland cities,” said Jason Oh, Head of New Business at iFood. “This is a very big challenge, but we certainly want customers in the more than 500 cities where we operate to take advantage of this service that makes it even more convenient for the consumer.”

In-Depth

Until further notice, customers wanting to pick up meals must manually change the delivery option in the app’s shopping bag. Eventually, placing takeout orders will become more easily accessible in a specific menu, according to reports.

This new function will also presumably cut down on additional charges, such as delivery costs. Instead, customers can place orders over the app and go pick them up at the desired restaurant.

Not only will it save money but also time. Other expected benefits range from increased sales volume as well as shorter waiting lines. Much of this seems to revolve around added customer convenience.

“A client who is leaving work can order dinner over the app, which already has a weather forecast, and on the way home they can pass by the restaurant,” said Oh.

“The same goes for those who are in a hurry at lunchtime and want to avoid queues. They can place an order, pay online, and when you’re ready, you receive a notification to pick up your meal.”

Considering that iFood previously partnered with Brazilian e-scooter startup Scoo to heighten delivery choices, it is interesting to see the company take a different approach to improve services. Previously, iFood has even made a multimillion-dollar investment in an AI learning center.

-JA