HELLOFOOD, the leading online food delivery marketplace in the Middle East, was ranked as the No. 1 app in the food and beverage category in at least seven countries including Saudi Arabia, by both Android and Apple stores. In 2015, hellofood has increased its focus on mobile, and released the next generation of its award-winning food ordering app. During the same year, the hellofood app, recorded five million downloads. Saudi Arabia was again among the top mobile-using countries globally alongside Russia and Brazil, all with mobile order shares above 60%. In Saudi Arabia alone, the food orders made online via mobile apps account for over 90%. "The idea of being able to order from anywhere by simply tapping through your favorite food and meals on a mobile phone or tablet, was just a dream," said Tarek Ghobar, managing director of hellofood Saudi Arabia. "The hellofood application turned that dream into reality, as our award-winning and easy-to-use application made it possible to have your favorite dishes, menus and restaurants at your fingertips." "The hellofood app allows consumers to select their favorite food from the largest portfolio of restaurants and brands we own, place the order, pay, and have it delivered to their doorstep. They can also view pictures of different dishes, write reviews and ratings, as well as customize meals by choosing, replacing or adding toppings of choice. All of this makes hellofood the preferred platform when it comes to online food ordering," added Ghobar. On importance of the mobile platform, Ghobar said: "We know for a fact that people are spending more time in front of their mobile screens than they are in front of the TV or even their desktops. Mobile is the main access channel for media and online services going forward. Mobile fits our strategy to offer food delivery and take-away at any time, for everyone and everywhere and it allows us to directly engage with our customers. We are best positioned to lead the way in this transformation in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East region." hellofood launched its operations in the Middle East in 2013 in Saudi Arabia, and within two years expanded into 13 cities, making it the youngest fastest-growing company in the region. Backed by a successful business model and international network, hellofood today possesses the largest portfolio of brands and restaurants in the Middle East. Online-food-ordering platforms present an innovation to the food and restaurant industry by using the power of technology to provide convenience to consumers. This allows consumers to get their favorite food from their favorite restaurants without experiencing the irritating phone rings, lengthy on-holds, or busy signals, eliminating frustration, and leaving no room for miscommunication. Hellofood, part of foodpanda group, the world's leading online food-ordering platform is a two-sided marketplace connecting customers with their favorite restaurants. It helps restaurants to increase delivery sales through online and mobile platforms, and provides them with constantly evolving technology and analytics. Customers can choose their favorite meal online, and hellofood sends the order directly to the restaurant, which delivers the meal to the customer. hellofood also offers delivery logistics to provide an alternative service by controlling and optimizing the delivery process using proprietary tech solutions. This means less time and more efficiency, hence enriching the overall customer's food experience.
