Q-commerce, the on-demand retail delivery service, has quickly moved beyond takeaways and emergency groceries. Now, these apps are increasingly seen as the authority on local goods and services for the resident and visitor alike. As a result, it’s becoming increasingly important for brands to be both visible and highly discoverable on these platforms.
Apps such as Wolt, primarily serving the Nordics and Central/Eastern Europe but also Asia and the Middle East, and Glovo which is in 23 countries across Europe, central Asia and Africa, have both recently updated their user experience and capabilities to make using the apps a more intuitive and exploratory experience.
“We’re evolving from an app people used to order whatever they want in their cities, to a destination where you can explore, be inspired, find what you need and decide with confidence,” explains Oscar Pierre, CEO at Glovo. “The new features bring together community, AI powered personalization, and speed to make every order feel easier while we keep betting on social and community features to make the app more human and connected to every local community where we operate.”
Glovo is creating a dedicated tab designed specifically for moments when customers don’t yet know what to order. For the first time, Glovo is merging the food and Q-commerce verticals, combining restaurants, groceries and retail together in one dynamic space that prioritizes quality content and relevant recommendations.
Instead of endless listings, customers will find evolving collections such as “Trending right now”, “Hot & highly-rated”, “Loved by locals”, “Budget Friendly”, or “Fine dining”. These carousels adapt in real time based on what is popular in the community and each customer’s context.
Similarly, Wolt is looking to focus on what consumers want, then presenting them with multiple options, starting with products instead of stores. They can find headphones across retailers, or compare moisturizers by scrolling through options from pharmacies, supermarkets, and beauty brands.
This gives merchants more visibility across the app – reaching more customers and driving more sales.By reorganizing discovery around products, Wolt helps merchants connect with customers earlier in their decision-making, driving exposure and engagement.The updated design gives Wolt the flexibility to introduce new categories, highlight more products, and support evolving shopping experiences.
“Many customers haven’t been aware of the wide range of products and venues already available on Wolt, which is a missed opportunity for customers and merchants alike. This update is a big step in fixing that – and reimagining how the customer can find what they need on Wolt; be it milk and bananas, painkillers, pet food, baby toys, shampoo or umbrellas. We’ve made discovery faster, smarter and more intuitive – built on insights into how people browse, search and shop locally today,” reveals Julia Niemann, Director of Product Management, Consumer Product.
Wolt’s technology platform has fulfilled more than 700 million consumer orders across over 30 countries, and generated over €15 billion in sales for local merchants.* Today, non-restaurant categories already account for more than 20% of all orders, a figure that continues to rise.
Local intel remains a key driver of engagement and expertise from ‘just up the road’ is hugely valued. Glovo is introducing a new User-Generated Content experience that allows customers to leave written reviews and upload photos of the products they ordered.
Feedback is more detailed than ever: customers can rate individual products with a thumbs up or down, while restaurant and delivery experiences are scored separately so partner ratings reflect food quality alone. Restaurants or stores get a score that shows the percentage of positive opinions customers have written about them.
To make insights easier to digest, an AI-powered summary highlights the most loved dishes and recurring highlighted elements from real reviews. Customers can also choose whether their opinions are shared with the whole community or only with friends, keeping privacy in their hands. Only customers with a verified delivered order can contribute, ensuring authenticity and trust. All the reviews are moderated to avoid any kind of content that doesn’t fit privacy standards or Glovo’s guidelines.
Connie Kwok, VP of Q-Commerce at Glovo, states: “The future of digital grocery shopping lies in breaking today’s frictions. We are evolving the experience from a manual task into an intuitive seamless journey.”
