Research of the Russian market of Ready-to-eat food delivery

Abstract

The article presents the results of a study of the ready meal delivery market as one of the key sectors of the e-commerce market, which demonstrates significant growth and opens up new investment opportunities. The purpose of confirming the hypothesis of the significance of including this factor in the regression model, which will allow for more accurate forecasting of demand and identification of trends in the market, is defined. The growth trend of the e-commerce market has been noted due to increasing internet accessibility and digital literacy of the population; development of logistics; changing consumer habits; diversity of offerings; increasing number of startups and crowdfunding initiatives. Forms of e-commerce are examined, each with its own approaches to customer interaction, allowing businesses to adapt to market demands. The historical stages of the emergence of ready meal delivery are presented, demonstrating the contribution of each era and culture to the development of this segment. Current food delivery formats are studied, and the popularity of cloud kitchens is highlighted, with a description of business models, each with its own features and approaches to organizing work, allowing entrepreneurs to choose the most appropriate option depending on their goals and resources. Analyzed statistical data for recent years, which showed that the ready-to-eat food delivery market in Russia, including catering turnover, continues to grow despite economic challenges. It was found that the market may continue to expand due to the development of digital services, improved logistics and increased accessibility of delivery in small communities, as well as under the influence of technological advances and demographic changes. Increasing competition among catering and retail facilities has been observed, where online delivery has great potential for growth and sustainability in the market. A trend equation has been derived from the analysis between catering turnover and delivery market turnover from restaurants, which is graphically illustrated. It is concluded that food delivery is a key element in the catering industry and an important factor in predicting its performance as accurate demand forecasting helps to optimize costs, minimize losses and increase profitability of organizations.