‘Online restautant aggregators must create a Netflix for food’

Hong Kong, July 9 (IANS) As online food delivering platforms gain popularity and virtual kitchens set new goals, consumers globally want personalised experiences and to connect emotionally with the brands, a top Uber Eats executive stressed here on Tuesday.

Addressing the APAC 'Future of Food Summit' here, Nikki Neuburger who is Global Marketing Head at Uber Eats, said people are making food orders more interactive with comments and feedback.

"To transform the moments of tension into moments of meaningful connections, people want to be more involved. They seek information like who has prepared the food, who is delivering it and who is reviewing it," Neuburger told the gathering.

Making food orders more personalised is part of the idea behind why consumers wish their food orders to be treated with a human touch.

In order to cater to their demands, brands like Uber Eats are implementing technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), data analytics and Augmented Reality (AR) in their apps and services.

"The future of online food services is similar to that of hiring a private chef -- to know a detailed personal understanding of an individual's food choices based on their order history," said Stephen Chau, Senior Director and Global Head of product, Uber Eats.

According to Chau, the time has come for the online restaurant aggregators to create more customised and personalised services for users -- like Netflix for food.

According to experts, data-driven food is taking over the world with technologies like AI undertaking the responsibility of maintaining the integrity of food -- from nutrition to agriculture.

Hosted by Uber Eats, the two-day "APAC Future of Food" summit is aimed at finding the balance between technology and human hospitality.