Lieferando, UberEats and Wolt compared: which is the most sustainable delivery service?
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The sustainability of Lieferando, UberEats and Wolt for restaurateurs is a hot topic that affects many restaurants and takeaways. With the rise of delivery service platforms, you, as a restaurateur, have the opportunity to conveniently bring your food and drinks to customers. By using these platforms, you, as a restaurateur, can potentially benefit from a larger customer base and increase your sales. At the same time, however, this can lead to customers increasingly ordering from large chains instead of supporting local businesses.
Another aspect to consider is the dependence on third-party providers. If you, as a restaurateur, handle your deliveries exclusively through Lieferando, UberEats or Wolt, you may have less control over the entire delivery process. This can lead to problems such as late deliveries or a lack of quality assurance. You are also dependent on the delivery services in your city delivering and being available to you. As the market leader, Lieferando covers a delivery area of over 250 cities in Germany. UberEats covers 86 cities across Germany thanks to the Uber Group and Wolt is only represented in 19 German cities.
In this comparison, we assume that all of them, i.e. Lieferando, UberEats and Wolt, deliver in your city. Which delivery service is worthwhile for your restaurant? And how sustainable are these services really? In this article, we will compare the pros and cons of Lieferando, UberEats and Wolt for restaurateurs and also look at the possibility of an in-house delivery service.
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What costs will I incur if I want to sell food via Lieferando, UberEats or Wolt?
Lieferando costs and prices for restaurant owners
Lieferando is the best-known food delivery platform in Germany. With a large customer base, Lieferando offers numerous advantages for restaurants. Order processing is simple and there are various marketing options to increase your visibility. There are basically two ways to use Lieferando's services.
UberEats costs and prices for restaurant owners
UberEats has conquered the German market in recent years and is becoming increasingly popular. The delivery service is part of the Uber Group and drivers can decide for themselves whether they want to deliver food or transport people. The delivery structure of UberEats is similar to that of Lieferando.
Wolt costs and prices for restaurant owners
Wolt is an up-and-coming platform available in various German cities. With its focus on quality and user experience, Wolt offers an attractive alternative for restaurants and has an almost identical delivery system to Lieferando. The only difference: Wolt offers delivery of groceries, supermarkets, drugstores or flower stores in addition to food delivery.
Sustainability of Lieferando, UberEats and Wolt for restaurateurs
Sustainability plays an important role in today's restaurant industry. Restaurateurs are faced with the challenge of making their businesses more environmentally friendly and making sustainable decisions. But how sustainable are Lieferando, UberEats and Wolt for restaurateurs? We take a closer look.
What impact do Lieferando, UberEats and Wolt have on the environment? And which delivery service delivers in an environmentally friendly way?
The delivery service platforms do have some positive effects on the environment. By bundling orders and optimizing route planning, they can enable more efficient deliveries. This can lead to fewer vehicle kilometers and thus to a reduction in CO₂ emissions. In addition, many platforms rely on electric vehicles or bicycle couriers to further reduce their environmental impact.
Lieferando mainly uses bicycle couriers and offers drivers the option of choosing a scooter as a delivery vehicle. UberEats and Wolt allow their suppliers to choose which vehicle they want to use. At UberEats, a lot of deliveries are made by car due to the company structure and at Wolt, the bicycle dominates as the delivery vehicle.
Can Lieferando, UberEats and Wolt offer food in reusable containers?
Yes, you and your restaurant can sell sustainably in reusable containers via Lieferando, UberEats and Wolt. But this requires your initiative! You have the choice between the simple option, where you use disposable containers, some of which are difficult to recycle, to protect your food and drinks during transportation, and the better option, where you use reusable containers.
Reusable alternatives from delivery services
Lieferando and UberEats allow you, as a restaurant owner, to use reusable containers from the providers Vytal and RECUP (REBOWL). You can simply choose your preferred partner and make your delivery more sustainable!
Wolt goes one better and has another partner in addition to Vytal and RECUP (REBOWL): Relevo.
What are Lieferando, UberEats and Wolt doing to combat food waste?
Another sustainability issue that Lieferando, UberEats and Wolt address for restaurateurs is potential food waste. If orders are canceled or delivered incorrectly, food can be lost. This is not only economically unfavorable, but also ecologically questionable.
Lieferando sets a good example here by appealing to customers and encouraging sustainable behavior with valuable tips against food waste. Lieferando also provides recipes for using up leftovers.
UberEats and Wolt are a little more reserved. There is no information on initiatives against food waste from either company.
Comparison overview:
| Feature | Lieferando | Uber Eats | Wolt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reach and distribution within Germany | high (over 250 cities) | medium (86 cities) | low (19 cities) |
| Agency commission | low (13% of the order value) | low (15% of the order value) | n.a. |
| Costs for self-collection by your customers | n/a | n/a | low (0€) |
| Commission as delivery agent | high (30% of the order value) | high (30% of the order value) | high (25-30% of the order value) |
| Sustainability of the delivery method | good (bicycle or scooter) | Needs improvement (mostly car and bicycle) | very good (mostly bicycle) |
| Variety of reusable container partners | high (Vytal and RECUP (REBOWL)) | high (Vytal and RECUP (REBOWL)) | very high (Vytal, RECUP (REBOWL) and Relevo) |
| Commitment against food waste | good (tips and recipes for using leftovers) | n.a. | n.a. |
As an alternative to external delivery services, it is possible to offer an in-house delivery service.
Advantages and disadvantages of an in-house delivery service
Considering an in-house delivery service can give restaurateurs greater control over the delivery process and sustainability. Here are some pros and cons to consider:
Advantages
- Better control over sustainability measures: With an in-house delivery service, restaurateurs have the opportunity to use eco-friendly packaging, optimize the number of delivery vehicles and implement sustainable delivery processes.
- Direct customer contact: By having an in-house delivery service, restaurateurs can establish direct contact with their customers and receive their feedback. This enables better customer loyalty and the opportunity to respond to individual needs.
- Strengthening the local economy: By promoting an in-house delivery service, restaurateurs can support the local economy and establish a direct connection to the community.
Disadvantages
- Higher costs: An in-house delivery service can be associated with higher costs, as additional resources such as delivery vehicles and staff are required. Restaurateurs therefore need to carefully consider the financial implications.
- Possible logistical effort: Organizing an in-house delivery service requires careful planning and logistics to ensure efficient and reliable delivery.
- Limited customer base: Compared to delivery service platforms, an in-house delivery service may reach a limited customer base. Restaurateurs may need to invest in marketing efforts to increase their reach.
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Conclusion
The sustainability of Lieferando, UberEats and Wolt for restaurateurs is an important issue that restaurateurs should consider when deciding whether or not to use these platforms. Although they have some positive impacts, there are also challenges in terms of packaging waste, food waste and supporting the local economy. An in-house delivery service can be an alternative to improve sustainability and maintain control over the delivery process.
We recommend offering an in-house delivery service where it is (financially) possible. If your restaurant is well known, this can be much more profitable than using platforms such as Lieferando, UberEats and Wolt. For smaller restaurants, it is a good idea to use delivery services as an intermediary to gain a little more publicity. This may make it possible to set up an in-house delivery service in the future.
In smaller towns where none of the three delivery services are offered, the only option is to have your own in-house delivery service. In this case, we advise you to individually weigh up whether a delivery service is necessary and profitable at all. It may help to talk to your customers and simply ask them about their needs.
Fancy even more comparisons? In another magazine article, we tested and compared the best-known solutions against food waste for you.
2 comments
Trinkgeld gebe ich in Cash, dann weiß ich das der Lieferfahrer es bekommt.
Ihr habt vergessen dass Lieferando noch 0,70€ pro Transaktion berechnet. Das heißt wenn der Kunde online mit Karte zahlt, berechnet uns Liefernado als Gastronomen diesen Betrag für jede Transaktion. Das hat Wolt nicht zum Beispiel. Darüber hinaus behält Lieferando nochmal 20% des abgegebenen Trinkgeldes. Heißt wenn Kunden online Trinkgelder geben die eigentlich für die Fahrer gedacht sind behält Lieferando nochmals 20% davon.