A friend from a rural area mentioned they couldn’t order from Uber Eats because it wasn’t available in their area. They live in a town with a population of just under 100,000 and have some fast-food restaurants and shopping centers, but food delivery options are limited. The writer also experiences this issue in rural areas outside Tokyo and Marugame City, where delivery services aren’t available even though they aren’t too far from town centers.
In big cities like Tokyo, food delivery is convenient, but in rural areas, it’s missed due to fewer nearby restaurants and added hassle of driving. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, food delivery has become common in cities but hasn’t reached rural areas effectively, highlighting the limitations of the industry.
The food delivery industry, which had boomed during the pandemic with companies like Uber Eats and Demaekan, faces challenges now. Demaekan, for example, reported financial losses and declining users, overshadowed by the success of Uber Eats with its stronger market presence. This competition and other economic factors have created a “winner takes all” environment, leaving other companies struggling.
Several factors contribute to the stagnation of the food delivery industry: the end of the pandemic-driven demand spike, rising food costs, and the challenge of high delivery fees making the service less appealing to users. For instance, ordering a Big Mac from McDonald’s delivery costs significantly more than purchasing it in-store.
Additionally, delivery services focus on urban areas with dense populations and lots of restaurants, making them less attractive in rural areas where people might need them more. These regions have fewer restaurants and delivery requests, making it hard to maintain delivery services.
Despite the initial hope that food delivery services might change how we live, the method relies heavily on high population densities, highlighting urban-rural disparities. Urban areas become more convenient while rural ones remain underserved.
While Uber Eats shows some continued growth, overall, the industry needs to address structural issues, such as improving service access in rural areas to become a true “life infrastructure” that supports everyone’s needs. With the right adjustments, food delivery could genuinely enhance many people’s lifestyles
by MagazineKey4532