Characteristics of food establishments registered with a meal delivery app in Latin America

Abstract

Numerous studies have characterized the establishments registered with meal delivery apps (MDAs) in several countries. However, little evidence is available regarding these platforms in Latin America (LA). The purpose of this study is to characterize food establishments registered with an MDA in nine LA cities. The establishments (n=3,339) were characterized by the following keyword groups: “Typical cuisine,” “Meat and fish,” “Snacks,” “Breakfast,” “Desserts,” and “Healthy.” In addition, we identified the marketing strategies present in the establishments' advertisements: photos, discounts, and free delivery. Mexico City had the highest number of establishments registered with MDAs (773), followed by Bogotá (655), Buenos Aires (567), and São Paulo (454). There is a direct relationship between the number of inhabitants of the cities and the number of the registered establishments. “Snacks” was the keyword group most used by establishments in five of the nine cities. Establishments in two cities were most often characterized by the terms “Typical cuisine” (Mexico City and Santiago de Chile) and “Meats and fish” (Quito and San Jose). Photos were present in the advertisements of at least 84.0% of the establishments. In addition, at least 40% of establishments in Montevideo, Bogotá, São Paulo, Lima, and Santiago de Chile offered discounts. Free delivery was present in at least 50% of establishments in Quito, San Jose, Mexico City, Santiago de Chile, and Lima. Photos were also the most common marketing strategy used by the establishments classified in all groups of keywords, while free delivery and discounts differed among them.

The potential influence of the digital food retail environment on health: A systematic scoping review of the literature

“…Nine of these studies examined the characteristics of online food delivery platform users, with the remaining 13 studies examining the characteristics of the platforms themselves, such as the in‐app promotional marketing, the healthiness of products offered, and their food availability across different geographical areas 68,69,71,73–77,80,82,83,86,87 …”

“…Nine of these studies examined the characteristics of online food delivery platform users, with the remaining 13 studies examining the characteristics of the platforms themselves, such as the in-app promotional marketing, the healthiness of products offered, and their food availability across different geographical areas. 68,69,71,[73][74][75][76][77]80,82,83,86,87 The studies that examined the users of online food delivery platforms were based in the United Kingdom, 79,81 Australia, 70,84 Malaysia, 72 Saudi Arabia, 67 Singapore, 85 the United States, 40 and multiple high income countries. 78 Two studies examined the influence of online food delivery platforms on dietary habits during COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, 67,85 one study examined the in-app advertising of online food delivery platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic, 75 and one study examined what food items were promoted on online food delivery platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

“…Studies that examined online food delivery platform characteristics examined the access of food outlets to a specified delivery location and also the healthiness of menu items, 68,82 the healthiness of menu items only, 69,71,73,76,83,87 or access to food outlets from different locations, 80 and the availability of calorie labeling or nutritional information, 74,86 and others examined the health aspects of in-app promotional marketing strategies. 75,77 Studies that examined the healthiness of menu items found that they were mostly unhealthy.…”