Daleel 1010, Oman’s first smart information guide, has its fingers on the pulse of diners in and around the capital with its well-conceptualised food delivery service. In the following interview, Gurpreet Singh Ahuja, Country Head – Strategic Initiatives of Daleel 1010 sheds light on the growing food industry and the changing tastes and preferences of diners who rely on delivery services to cater to their busy lifestyles.
To begin, tell us more about your food delivery service.
The business of delivering restaurant foods is undergoing swift changes globally. Emergent digital paradigms are inspiring new online platforms that race daily to capture boundaries and customers across Middle East. At Daleel 1010, it has always been our endeavour to contribute to the society with multifaceted and encouraging innovations to familiarise local modernisations. Daleel food ordering services was incepted in November 2018, latent to the growing ecommerce demand across the Sultanate. Our journey initiated in Muscat and soon footprints were laid in cities like Sohar, Sur, Salalah and Nizwa. The service offers premier experiences to its users while catering to their predominant cravings, followed by an efficient last mile delivery channel which has spurred the acceptance and have been the growth catalyst within a brisk period.
Why was a need felt to start a food delivery service? Who do you cater to and which areas?
Rising mobile subscribers in Oman that touched 6.2 million and active mobile broadband subscribers that rose to 4.130 million – these are clear indicators of rising digital acceptance in Oman. The constant exposure and influx of various ecommerce platforms are shifting traditional customers’ purchase behaviours in Oman; it has fuelled the need for convenience shopping. Over the past few years, food delivery as an industry has been concentrated only to Muscat as a region, but there has been an immense opportunity to extend such a service seamlessly across the Sultanate. At present, Daleel food ordering service caters to Muscat, Sur, Sohar, Salalah and Nizwa.
Is there a growing community of people who rely on takeaways and home deliveries to save time and effort?
There are few behavioural changes that factors to the acceptance of ecommerce as an industry:
- Shift towards nuclear families
- Cultural changes towards empowering women and dual employments
- Exposure and digital transformations
- Growing ecommerce trends.
How popular is Omani cuisine in our market?
Omani cuisine remains popular and always on demand; however, trends depict that fast food happens to be charting on top of the list of on-demand cuisines.
Would you say diners today are more savvy and demanding?
Exposure to technology and aggressive power packed marketing strategies by businesses are shifting traditional impulsive buying patterns to informative buying behaviours across industry. Food as an industry happens to be no different from its siblings.
As a food delivery service, what, according to you, are the popular cuisines diners in the capital and outside seek?
The top 5 on-demand cuisines are American (burgers), Italian (pizzas), Arabic, Indian and Chinese.
Would you say Oman’s food industry is substantial for the growing customers or is more needed to complete the picture?
Oman is one of the food loving geographies and has embraced global cuisines due to its diversified population mix. But food as an industry still has ample scope for improvisations.
What makes Daleel popular in today’s competitive market?
At Daleel 1010, it has always been our sincere effort towards offering convenience and time bound deliveries towards our consumers. These are the major factors behind our growing acceptance and prominence is this competitive market.
