Two months after it made it possible to order pizza through voice-controlled devices in the U.K., Domino’s is seeing positive results.
According to news from Digiday, one in five customers who can order a pizza delivery with one click through the company’s Easy Orders option has asked Amazon Alexa instead.
Domino’s launched Easy Orders in 2013 and introduced the voice-activated feature on Alexa at the end of July. Customers simply need to create an Easy Order account, which allows them to save their favorite order and submit it through Domino’s website and app, Facebook Messenger and Google Home.
While Domino’s doesn’t break out voice or Easy Order sales as a percentage of its eCommerce earnings, Nick Dutch, head of digital for Domino’s UK, said the initial wave of orders on Alexa was proof the company “backed the right horse.” The pizza maker has chosen to sell directly to customers rather than through online delivery companies like UberEats and Deliveroo.
Domino’s same-store sales have declined 13 percent in the 26 weeks ending June 25 from the previous year. While voice and Easy Orders won’t be a quick fix, they do make the ordering process easier and can encourage people to buy.
“The reality is right now there aren’t millions of people who are doing that [making voice orders],” said Dutch. “We’re building for the future, and we need to leverage this [early growth] … in the hope that over time, more people use the technology.”
Domino’s focus right now is on growing direct sales from voice-controlled devices, including adding options like letting customers pick different toppings and locating their nearest store. But Digiday points out that the company might need to consider expanding into search ads soon, especially true if comScore’s recent prediction that 50 percent of all searches will be done by voice by 2020 becomes a reality.