Domino’s has once again performed strongly, with sales jumping 21% in the third quarter.
This is because, with all the ingredients at its disposal, it’s got the main one right – technology.
When Brits think pizza delivery, the overwhelming majority think Domino’s. The reason that the brand is so embedded in our public psyche is not because it is the world’s best pizza, it’s because it is effortless.
You know exactly what you are going to get every single time you order. In current times we all love a bit of comforting, mouth-watering reliability.
Not only does the service work every time, it also has developed convincing incentives for repeat custom.
From its app, that allow users to order and track deliveries whilst offering games and rewards, to its localised voucher system, encouraging users to search for discounts before ordering their pizza.
The prospect of a drone dropping a Domino’s pizza straight into the back garden will be an appealing proposition for many who want to add a bit of excitement to their evening in
Fundamentally though it is tech that has played a key role in getting them to this point – evidenced by the fact that digital sales in the UK alone are up 17%.
Technology has been integrated into the business with ease and transparency, creating a solid foundation for further development.
One particular technological masterstroke has been the gamification of pizza delivery. Customers are able to build their own preferences and create their own pizza through the pizza legend service.
They have also introduced voice integrated ordering (aptly named DOM), across every app, device and platform, removing any barriers to usage.
Platform isn’t the only barrier they’ve overcome here – DOM is developing a multi-language platform, catering for diversifying populations that can even recognise local nuances and abbreviations, if you ever fancy ordering some scran via your voice assistant.
Additionally, they’ve hooked in the younger generation through text messaging, Facebook presence, twitter ordering and even emoji ordering, creating a sticky service that taps into the networks that its target audience frequent. Not to mention its no-click ordering function launched through its app last year.
Where next for Domino’s?
Obviously it will aim to maintain its success – but while other industries can rely on organic growth, there is no organic growth in the pizza industry.
They won’t sell many more Domino’s pizzas in an area just through promotional marketing. What will ensure continued growth is the development of the clever, tech-savvy innovations that we all love to engage with.
Pizza delivery by drone, for example. The prospect of a drone dropping a Domino’s pizza straight into the back garden will be an appealing proposition for many who want to add a bit of excitement to their evening in. The same can be said for driverless cars and robot delivery vehicles (pictured above).
Domino’s is also taking a big step in the direction of artificial intelligence – looking beyond customer experience to the supply chain.
The use of AI means it can track the usage of ingredients in every region by the gram – meaning it can continually drive efficiencies in its supply chain.
Finally, one of the areas in which Domino’s can really stand out in the future is the connected home, integrating its service with everything in your house.
This could involve anything from playing soothing music while you wait for your pizza to arrive, building to a crescendo as your pizza approaches your house, to Alexa telling you to set the table and making sure your front door is lit for when the delivery driver arrives.
Connected devices could soon be utilised to the point where you can open the door and Domino’s can deliver your pizza to you while you are sitting ready at your dining room table.
The genius of Domino’s is the end to end use of technology – so next time you ask DOM to order you an extra-large meat feast that you have customised to your exact taste, you can rest easy, they know what you knead and constant investment means your experience can only get better.
Ray Fowler is director at digital transformation consultancy Transform
