Zomato, one of India’s largest food delivery platforms, is taking a bold step to address a significant issue in the food delivery industry: food wastage due to cancelled orders. Announced by Zomato’s CEO, Deepinder Goyal, the new “Food Rescue” initiative aims to offer a practical solution for the over 400,000 cancelled orders each month, ensuring that edible food reaches those nearby at discounted rates.
We don't encourage order cancellation at Zomato, because it leads to a tremendous amount of food wastage.
Inspite of stringent policies, and and a no-refund policy for cancellations, more than 4 lakh perfectly good orders get canceled on Zomato, for various reasons by customers.… pic.twitter.com/fGFQQNgzGJ
— Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) November 10, 2024
Despite Zomato’s strict no-refund policy on cancelled orders, a large amount of prepared food goes to waste each month. When customers cancel an order, the food is often discarded, leading to substantial food wastage, increased disposal costs and unnecessary strain on the environment. Many cancelled orders remain in perfect condition for consumption and Zomato’s Food Rescue program is designed to bridge this gap.
When an order is cancelled, Zomato will immediately notify nearby users of the available food through its app. Interested users can then choose to buy the meal at a reduced price and pick it up or have it delivered. By expediting this process, Zomato ensures that cancelled orders reach new consumers as quickly as possible, maintaining freshness and food safety standards.
Goyal also sated that delivery partners will be compensated for the whole trip, covering both the initial delivery attempt and the final drop-off at the new customer’s location.
