Insight & strategy Delivering data Online food delivery increased during the Covid-19 lockdown, and Deliveroo is banking on data-sharing within the organisation to help keep its brand in the public eye. By Liam Kay 32 S ince social-distancing restrictions swept in earlier this year, many of those who liked to indulge in a meal out have had to rely on ordering online instead. And judging by the number of teal and white-clad cyclists slaloming through our towns and cities, theres a good chance it is Deliveroo bringing the food. Founded in 2013, the delivery company has hit the headlines recently. As with many of its competitors during the pandemic, Deliveroo has brought in new no-contact delivery policies and has been offering free meals for NHS workers. The company has also attracted new investment from Amazon. The Competition and Markets Authority has provisionally accepted the deal, but its investigation was not yet complete at the time of writing. The company is a prominent part of a burgeoning food delivery industry that was worth 8.4bn in the UK in 2019, according to data from MCA Insight. This was an 18% increase on 2018, and the signs are that the sector will continue to grow in the years ahead. Insights are at the heart of Deliveroo. Jake Steadman left Twitter last year to join the company as vice-president of customer insight. His focus is to develop policy and strategy in three areas: consumers buying meals through Deliveroo; riders delivering those meals; and the brands relationship with the restaurants that prepare them. Steadmans team is still relatively small. There are two people on the consumer team, another couple on Deliveroos rider team and one focusing