The media and marketing industry is awash with stories about the sudden emergence of flash delivery services. This new concept is very much the talk of the town and a source of unrest in certain circles. Not only do they represent new competition for the supermarkets: platforms like Just Eat Takeaway, bol.com, and Amazon are also competing with flash delivery services for service provision and convenience. But just how fast is this development taking place in the Netherlands? MeMo² shares the results of the first large-scale survey into this new phenomenon.
A new look on our cities’ streets
Outside the Dutch Randstad conurbation, and above all in the 45 plus age group, 69% have never even heard of the concept of flash delivery. “For those living or working in larger cities, this may be difficult to imagine,” says Marcel Vogels, founder of MeMo². “The trams in the bright livery of Getir and the outdoor advertising campaigns by Gorillas, Flink, and Zapp have created a new look on the streets. Not to mention the flocks of delivery riders racing through the streets in their branded outfits. A sort of Randstad 2.0.”
This new look seems to be bearing fruit in the streets of the Netherlands’ three most prominent cities: in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague, flash delivery services have achieved 80% awareness. Moreover, among the 18 to 34 year-old residents of those same cities, the awareness rating rises to 89%. The phenomenon has become a household name in no time, at least in the big three cities.
Gorillas is not monkeying around
For the time being, there is one major winner in terms of brand awareness, and the title goes to the delivery riders from Gorillas. This particular player is known to 4.9 million over-18s in the Netherlands, followed at some distance by the competitors Flink (3.2 million), Getir (1.7 million), and Zapp (1.1 million). More than 1 million over-18s in the Netherlands have already purchased one of the flash delivery services.
In the big three cities, just over a quarter of the population used a flash delivery service in 2021 (26%). And those same cities also recorded the highest name awareness scores: Gorillas has an awareness rating of 67%, followed by Getir (44%), Flink (43%), and Zapp (20%). Nevertheless, we may be witnessing the birth of something here to stay. Although ‘only’ 26% of consumers in the three big cities have used a flash delivery service so far, there appears to be a large group of potential users. More than half suggest they are considering a flash delivery service. And with the recent introduction of stricter COVID-19 measures, those considerations may soon be converted into adoption and penetration.
The brands together have helped boost awareness of the category, and the time is right for Gorillas, Flink, and Getir to convert the latent demand into actual purchases. MeMo² expects to witness a rapid spread of disruptive flash delivery riders over the coming period. One forgotten food item or no time to complete your Christmas shopping list? “No problem,” according to Marcel Vogels. “A delivery rider will be at your doorstep ‘in a flash’ with the missing item.”
Source: MeMo2