Delivering food via Etisalat’s Smiles app

Etisalat recently launched its own food delivery platform through its Smiles app, adding to the many market options for getting takeaway.

More than 2,500 restaurants are already delivering through the app, on which users can also get discounts on dishes that are exclusive to the service.

A lifestyle engagement program, Smiles app gives Etisalat customers access to savings across entertainment, shopping, dining, travel and wellness sector services, and most recently, now food delivery.

Dining most popular category

“Smiles app is well positioned to expand its presence in the food delivery market and create additional value to its customers and partners,” Khaled Elkhouly, chief consumer officer at Etisalat, said. “Today dining is the most popular category on the Smiles platform, with our customers enjoying special offers with Smiles while dining out.”

“We listened to the voice of our customers and have now extended the convenience of food ordering via Smiles from the comfort of their own homes,” he noted.

For the telecoms company it is also a savvy market move, as Smiles has more than 2.3 million registered members and is open to all citizens, residents, and visitors to the UAE.

According to statistics released by the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority, the number of telecommunications subscribers in UAE mobile, fixed-line and data services amounted to around 22.111 million in by end of May 2020, while the number of mobile subscribers of Etisalat in the United Arab Emirates in 2019 amounted to 10.8 million subscribers, up from 9.7 million subscribers in 2015.

Everyday savings

Some of Smiles app benefits include offering everyday savings to its members through earn and redemption of Smiles points for Etisalat, partner products and services as well as ‘Unlimited Buy 1 Get 1 Free’ and other discount offers at over 3,000 outlets, on entertainment, shopping, dining, travel, services and wellness experiences.

This kickback factor not only increases the various ways of engagement with the Smiles app., but it also gives a tangible reward for using the service by earning and redeeming Smiles points for a service that is frequently use on a recurring basis.

There has been a race to reduce prices across aggregators, with the Careem taxi service recently unveiling a subscription-based plan rather than a traditional commission-focused model.

In parallel the UAE is witnessing an increase in food delivery platforms driven by the pandemic, with Noon Food the latest to launch.

E-commerce giant Noon is launching a food delivery service through its platform, in an effort to support local food and beverage businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, the company’s founder Mohamed Alabbar said.