Dive Brief:
- Domino's has partnered with Xevo, which provides in-vehicle commerce and services for automakers, to provide an AnyWare pizza ordering platform, according to a press release.
- Customers can order via Easy Order and track it using the Domino's Tracker. They also can find their local stores and call in an order from the in-car interface.
- The ordering feature will be automatically loaded into millions of cars with the Xevo platform starting later this year.
Dive Insight:
With its goal of reaching $25 billion is sales by 2025, Domino's appears to be pulling out the stops to make it easier for customers to order. The strategy behind the car app is that it will allow customers to easily order their pizza while waiting for kids to finish up soccer practice or while they are on their way home from work, Chris Roeser, director of digital experience at Domino's, said in the press release.
The pizza market is expected to grow 10% in North America in the next five years, but added competition from the growing third-party aggregates will make delivery, which used to be confined to pizza and Chinese food, even more competitive. Technology that makes it easier to deliver pizza will help pizzerias get a leg up.
Domino's already seems ahead of the game, calling itself "a tech company that sells pizza." Last year it rolled out Hotspots, where customers can pick a predetermined location and have their pizza delivered without having to be at home or at the office, and added a dinner bell to its mobile app that allows customers to tell family members that the pizza has been delivered. It has also tested delivery by driverless car and drones. It offers ordering capabilities on Slack, Twitter, smartphone and smart devices and even via emoji.
But it's not alone in its advancement of pizza technology, and many other chains have been playing catchup with their own innovations. Pieology is turning to drones to help with delivery at a Connecticut store, and Pizza Hut is testing delivery bots with FedEx this summer. Pizza Hut previously unveiled a prototype of a pickup truck with a pizza making robot. More innovations could be coming from the restaurant as parent company Yum Brands is looking to hire a global leader to oversee its digital and tech strategy.
Papa John's CEO Steve Ritchie said during a February conference call with investors that the company has integrated with Apple Pay and Google Pay and now offers ordering on Amazon Alexa, in addition to Apple TV. The company also is looking to improve its technology, including new app capabilities, additional partnerships and ways to provide a better delivery experience for both drivers and customers, Ritchie said.
As pizza chains continue to innovate, they will need to focus on making the ordering and delivery experience better and more efficient instead of creating marketing gimmicks.
