Seismic shifts in technology use when on-trade reopens

By Lisa Riley

Published: 17 March, 2021

The hospitality sector can expect more seismic shifts in the use of technology when it reopens, according to the latest Go Technology report from CGA and Zonal.

The report suggested that Covid-19 has fundamentally transformed the relationship consumers have with technology, and that this is likely to be developed further when the on-trade reopens.

It stated that more than half (56%) of 18 to 24-year-olds would prefer to order online even after the country has been safely vaccinated, with a quarter of respondents finding the idea of tracking orders on their mobile devices "appealing", while a fifth would like to be able to create bar tabs or repeat previous orders.

Moreover, the report found that three quarters (76%) of consumers have pre-booked to eat or drink at a hospitality venue since summer 2020, with almost half (45%) ordering food and/or drinks via mobile when eating out.

“Covid-19 has been the great accelerator of technology in hospitality,” said Karl Chessell, CGA business unit director - hospitality operators and food, EMEA.

“It’s compressed investment and rollout that might have taken years into a matter of months, and an industry that was once behind the curve has now confidently integrated digital solutions at every step of the customer journey,” he said.

Businesses that could identify the technology that was “genuinely beneficial rather than gimmicky”, and weave it together with the best traditional elements of hospitality, should feel confident about bouncing back when hospitality returns,” he added.

Earlier this month, the latest CGA’s Business Leaders’ Survey pinpointed technology as a key focus for investment and innovation for on-trade businesses as hospitality opens up again.

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