In 2021, we researched potential distributors in the US and Canada for our UK-based client, which offers contactless digital ordering solutions in the hospitality sector. The company was seeking a partner to provide Qdemo solutions or other complementary technological solutions to the hospitality industry in the US.
Status of the “digital ordering and payment” market in the US
The pandemic left hotels, bars, and restaurants empty worldwide starting in early 2020. Even from the beginning of this project, while the industry was in a recovery phase in the US, customer expectations and labor market demands continued to change rapidly.
As governments lifted anti-COVID measures in 2021, bars, restaurants, clubs, and hotels began implementing effective hygiene measures to ensure the safety of their employees and customers. Restaurants could ensure safety for both staff and customers when maintaining a 1.8-meter social distance in ventilated areas. Ordering from smartphones, tablets, or kiosks also provided a good solution for staff and customers.
Many workers lost their jobs in the hospitality sector at the beginning of the pandemic. After the pandemic, employees found other jobs and preferred not to return to their former bars and restaurants, leading to staffing issues. This situation creates opportunities for technology solutions like Qdemo.
While other industries, such as manufacturing, have experienced technological revolutions before, the restaurant sector is a good example of an industry undergoing a technology-driven change during the pandemic. High labor costs, personal hygiene, and the possibilities brought by mobile technology are factors influencing this change. Mobile technology has enabled restaurants to better understand and improve customer experiences. Restaurants that remain and grow in the coming years will be those that adopt flexible and mobile solutions in new business models.
In the hospitality sector, in addition to mobile technology, IT solution categories such as software for material procurement, accounting software, ERP-based restaurant management software, and POS-related software/equipment suppliers are also developing.
Brands selling contactless/online ordering software that could be considered competitors to Qdemo include Lunchbox Technologies, Warehouse Restaurant Manager Solution, Gotham Hospitality Solutions, Retail Control Solutions, ReUp-Lightspeed, Upserve, Touchbistro, Meetbbot, SpotOn Restaurant POS, and Toast. Given the vast size of the market and the relatively small size of each player, there is room for new software technology brands in the US market.
What sets this company apart in its market?
Our client has developed a range of products used for digital ordering and payment of food and beverages, allowing consumers to have minimal or no contact with staff. Qdemo is a product group used for contactless digital ordering and payment of food and beverages (from large chain operations to simple coffee shops), developed by operators with a restaurant group. QR codes, tablets, and kiosks are part of this solution.
The London-based brand started in 2009 with an innovative projection system that projected menus and entertainment onto tables. This solution began to be used on tablets and kiosks, and international patents were obtained. With the pandemic, they focused on solutions to ensure consumers are safely hosted in restaurants while maintaining social distancing. This technology, which provides a safer environment for consumers and reduced costs with increased revenue for entrepreneurs, is expected to be permanent.
The company has been offering contactless ordering and payment solutions for restaurants, cafes, etc., since 2009. Therefore, it can be considered one of the most experienced in the industry. Qdemo continues to focus on its core expertise in contactless ordering and payment technology, compatible with EPOS or other solutions. Qdemo has the broadest range of contactless ordering and payment solutions in the industry.
Qdemo offers various solutions, from companies using different technologies to simple cafes using only QR code solutions. It aims to be best-in-class, especially in terms of service delivery. Qdemo aims to “guide” customers through their setup journey and then “make the solution usable.”
If you need more information about the digital ordering solutions sector, the market situation in the US, or finding business partners in these and related fields, contact us. We can arrange a call with our consultant who managed the distributor search project in the US for the British company.
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