ETO DISCUSSES RESTAURANTS’ DEMANDS WITH YEMEKSEPETİ

Eskişehir Chamber of Commerce (ETO) held a meeting with senior executives of Yemeksepeti.com to discuss and convey the concerns and demands of its members in the restaurant and food services sector.

During the teleconference meeting, ETO Board Member Bülent Şarlar, ETO Deputy Secretary General Arda Genç, and senior managers from Yemeksepeti, including Deputy General Manager for Legal Affairs Duygu Tanıt and Deputy General Manager for Sales Sertaç Şener, discussed the challenges faced by the sector. ETO presented detailed data on the food and beverage sector and shared feedback from members.

78% revenue loss for delivery businesses

Şarlar highlighted that 1,156 ETO members in the food and beverage sector have faced operational restrictions due to the pandemic, with businesses that offer delivery services suffering a 78% decline in revenue. He also noted that 66% of employees in the sector have been laid off due to reduced sales, which poses a significant challenge in a service-oriented city like Eskişehir.

Complaints about high commission rates

ETO members also raised concerns about the high commission rates charged by online food ordering platforms and the long delays in receiving payments. Şarlar expressed that lowering these rates could help alleviate the pressure on businesses and that more support is needed for the sector during the pandemic. He emphasized ETO’s willingness to collaborate with Yemeksepeti to create better conditions for its members.

Şener: “We have supported businesses during the pandemic”

Yemeksepeti’s Deputy General Manager for Sales, Sertaç Şener, responded by explaining that they view restaurants and cafes as business partners and have implemented several initiatives to support them throughout the pandemic. He noted that they have worked with many industry organizations, including TOBB, to offer assistance to businesses.

Free services to support the sector

Şener added that Yemeksepeti’s commission rates are much lower compared to similar services globally. Additionally, services like the "pick-up" campaign, the wallet application, and daily menu listings are offered free of charge to support businesses. To further aid their partners, payments are processed every 15 days. Şener expressed Yemeksepeti’s commitment to continuing its investments in the sector to help businesses increase their online orders and expressed readiness to collaborate further with ETO.