Zomato Building Rest Points For Delivery Executives

Foodtech major Zomato said on Thursday (February 16) that it is building rest points for delivery partners to allow them to take a break between deliveries.

“Our delivery partners have a tough job, and we do not yet have the public infrastructure to help them do their jobs better,” said Zomato in a blog post about building rest points under The Shelter Project.

The food delivery major said the rest points would be “more than just a place to take a break between deliveries”. The company added that the rest points would include features such as clean drinking water, phone-charging stations, access to washrooms, high-speed internet, a 24×7 helpdesk and first-aid support.

“We believe that by providing a space for all delivery partners to rest, recharge, and take a moment for themselves, we can create a better environment that promotes their physical and mental health,” added Zomato.

The Shelter Project is underway and the foodtech has already built two rest points in Gurugram. Zomato said it has plans to build more rest points in the densest clusters of its food delivery business.

“We are thankful to see that these rest points have been warmly welcomed by not just Zomato delivery partners but delivery partners of multiple last-mile delivery players,” said the foodtech startup in the blog.

It is interesting to note that Zomato’s rest points are not exclusive to its own delivery partners, as it said that delivery partners from other companies such as Swiggy also use the said space. The foodtech said the two rest points it has built so far were already being used by hundreds of delivery executives each day.

Last year, Zomato said it would offer health insurance cover of INR 3 Lakh to the families of delivery executives who had been working with it for 2-3 years, as part of a loyalty bonus for long-serving delivery partners.

During the quarter ended December 31, 2022, Zomato’s consolidated losses widened to INR 346.6 Cr, up 38% from INR 250.8 Cr in Q2FY23. At the same time, the operating revenue stood at INR 1,948.2 Cr during the period, up from INR 1,661.3 Cr in the previous quarter.

Zomato also experienced a slowdown and falling consumer demand in its core business. The food delivery vertical generated an adjusted revenue of INR 1,565 Cr in Q3FY23, down 1% from INR 1,581 Cr in Q2FY23.