KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 — Food and grocery operators in the Klang Valley have been enjoying a surge in delivery orders over the past month since the annual haze started, as Malaysians resort to calling in for sustenance to avoid breathing in the foul air caused by Indonesia’s burning forests.
Apart from getting meals sent directly to their doorsteps, some families have also engaged the services of personal errand runners so even shopping for daily essentials can be done without leaving the home.
For housewife Zoe Soh, eating at home for lunch used to be a once or twice-a-week routine but when the haze worsened, she resorted to ordering in at least three times a week.
Dinner is no different, Soh said. Although her family rarely used to have their meals at home, they are now doing so twice a week.
“Since I’m with a baby, when the haze is bad, I don’t go out,” the mother of a 9-month-old baby added.
For the past month, other individuals like Soh have been doing the same, especially when air quality worsened past hazardous and schools were forced to close.
For Food Panda, an international online food delivery service, business began picking up last month, which was during the worst of the haze.
Country manager Sidney Ng told Malay Mail Online that he noticed the spike due to the sudden increase in orders as well as new customers.
“We noticed a higher volume of search for ‘food delivery’ and for our brand name and variations of our brand name — foodpanda.
“We think the increase in demand as people are looking to ‘escape the haze’.
“Also since some offices and schools are closed, our customers find it much more convenient to just order it via our site/app and have their meals delivered directly to them,” he said in an email interview.
Not only are Malaysians ordering in more, he added, many also appear more conscious of their food selection, choosing items like salads and fruit juices.
Jonathan Weins, co-founder of Dah Makan, a healthy gourmet food delivery service, said he too attributes the spike in orders to the haze, noting that many now realise the importance of eating well to stay in good health.
“KLites try to avoid going out in the haze. They rather order food to their office or home instead of walking outside through the haze to the next restaurant,” he said.
Weins added that orders increased 46 per cent from August to September.
Another gourmet food delivery service, Chopstick Diner also saw an increase in orders.
“We have noticed a spike in our orders, perhaps because people do not want to go out and be exposed too much to the haze.
“Also they would wanna eat more healthy meals to make up for the haze situation (detox),” founder Elaine Ho said.
For errand runner GoGet, co-founder and chief community manager Francesca Chia said she too noticed an increase in customers.
She said she believes this was due to the haze, apart from the growing popularity of the delivery service.
“Many people do think that it’s a better option to outsource and our GoGetters who could be standing in the malls already or near the store, can pick up and deliver to the user instantly.
“This saves the trip that the user needed to do to go to the mall/ store in the first place, since it goes instantly to people who are nearest to the pick up point,” she said, adding that new users almost doubled in September compared to the month before.
This year’s haze started early September, peaked between the end of the month and early October, and is still ongoing, though the air quality has been improving this week.
The highest recorded API reading was over 300, with schools shut down for two days early this month.
