The most-used delivery platforms (and why you also need your own online storefront with Mobee)

If you run a restaurant, a pizzeria or a bar, in recent years you'll have heard about — or already work with — the big delivery platforms. In many markets, food delivery has grown enormously and ordering dinner from a smartphone is now a habit for millions of people. But which are the most-used delivery platforms and why, alongside them, is it worth also having your own direct ordering channel? Let's look at it.

The main delivery platforms

The market is dominated by a handful of big names, present in most cities:

• Just Eat — among the first to arrive, with very broad coverage even in medium and small towns.
• Glovo — the "does everything" one, delivering food but also groceries and other products, very common in big cities.
• Deliveroo — focused on restaurants, with a premium positioning.
• Uber Eats — present on and off in various markets, backed by an international brand.

These platforms give you visibility and an already-built rider network. That's their big advantage: they put you in front of new customers without you having to build anything.

The other side of the coin: commissions and "rented" customers

There's a cost, though, and it's not small. Every order that comes from a platform costs you a commission that can eat into a large part of the margin. And above all: customers who order from Glovo or Just Eat are the platform's customers, not yours. You don't have their contact, you don't know their history, you can't reach out with a promotion. The day you stop paying, those customers stay there, in someone else's house.

We covered the numbers in a dedicated article: what delivery platforms really cost.

The solution: run your own ordering site alongside them

It's not about abandoning the platforms, but about not depending on them alone. With Mobee you get your own online storefront, with your logo and your name: customers order takeaway and delivery directly from you, with no commission on the order and no middleman.

• Customers who order become yours: contacts and history stay with your business.
• No commission per order: you start with no commission on any order.
• You import the menu from a photo: no need to rewrite it dish by dish.

The winning strategy for many restaurant owners is simple: use the platforms to get discovered, and your own ordering site to keep the customers you've already won, gradually shifting orders to where the margin stays entirely yours.

See also

Alternative to Glovo · Alternative to Just Eat · Commission-free delivery