Dubai’s homegrown digital marketplace noon.com has revealed its plans to launch a new platform to support local food and beverage businesses.
Mohamed Alabbar, the founder of noon.com, spoke with enthusiasm about the need for change and the significance of supporting small businesses in the area for future generations.
“There is no denying the impact of the Coronavirus crisis of 2020. This year has been a challenge on all fronts. Small and local businesses that have been built over decades with love have been badly impacted,” said Alabbar.
F&B and small businesses have been caught in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, battling to survive as a result of decreased footfall, dwindling capital and customer demand that is understandably anxious. Even those who were able to turn to deliver during COVID-19 were at the mercy of established aggregate food delivery platforms, who charged commission fees of up to 35% during crisis times. Such platforms also charge customers per each order. Charges like that can be devastating to a small company, even catastrophic. As even the smallest amount is integral for survival.
Noon Food will be incorporated into the noon.com app. With a clear and fair plan, noon Food will be a restaurant’s first network that is committed to helping small businesses to survive especially in these tough times. With an aim to have equal commissions, noon Foods will significantly change the field of play for F&B deliveries. The platform would also provide plenty of enticing additional benefits for businesses who want to embark with them.
“We have all seen what’s happening in the post-COVID-19 world – there is a real need to support the F&B industry and small businesses. noon Food will truly be a restaurant-first platform. It has been built specifically for food operators,” said Faraz Khalid, the Chief Executive of noon.
Mr. Khalid also praised his team that has worked relentlessly to build and complete a series of products and services to serve the region.
Noon.com provides local businesses the option to either choose noon Food to support their brand as a host platform for their business which helps them to tap into the mass customer database at noon and use the secure payment platform. Or they could opt to use the world-class delivery partner network already established by noon.
noon Food will be launched across the region in the coming months.
Noon had earlier said that it was partnering with Neolix, a Chinese technology firm, to test driverless vehicles designed to provide last-mile deliveries in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Noon was founded in 2016 by Mr. Alabbar. It sells items in more than 14 categories, including beauty and health, home and kitchen, electronics and mobiles and fashion.
