You’ve probably heard about Wonder by now. The high-profile company founded by Marc Lore has people buzzing with its nearly billion in funding and a model that includes chef-designed meals and a network of vans that cook up the food curbside.
Last month I wrote that Wonder has the opportunity to either reinvent the food delivery business or become a case study like others who have tried and failed to build out fully integrated delivery models.
What I didn’t write about is how much Wonder’s customers seem to love the product. After hearing from people I’ve talked to and reviews I’ve read about it online, it seems the service has an almost fanatical user base.
One person I spoke to told me his family uses Wonder multiple times a week, ordering meals that can range well above a hundred dollars with alcohol included to more affordable middle-of-the-week family meals.
Another wrote via Linkedin, “I live in that one metro market that Wonder delivers to, and it is wildly popular in my town. Last week I couldn’t decide between two Wonder “restaurants” Di Fara from Brooklyn or Mozza from LA. Both pizza spots impossible to get into but not when the Wonder truck pull up to your house and cooks it for you on the spot!”
The responses via Apple’s app store are even more gushing:
“The food was wonderful, and I cannot wait to order again. What a fabulous concept. It really works. Telling everyone that I know about the fabulous Wonder trucks.“
“Impressive how quickly you can be eating a fine restaurant quality meal from the comfort of your own home. Hoping Wonder continues to thrive, and that they keep the bar raised high for their commitment in delivering fine ingredient quality meals.“
Here are a few observations about why Wonder seems to be developing an infatuated following:
Users love the quality of the food. In review after review, people say the food is really good. Almost everyone says the food is as good or better than they could get in a restaurant.
The service is white glove. While some users have said Wonder has a kink or two to work out, it doesn’t seem to matter because the customer service is so strong. When Wonder makes a mistake, someone is there to make it right. People also love the chefs who show up at their door in a white coat and Wonder hat to deliver their meals.
People love access to chef-designed meal concepts. Getting quick access to food that could have been made in far-away and popular restaurants like Di Fara Pizza or J Bird from Jonathan Waxman is something that resonates with reviewers.
Word of mouth and omnipresent delivery vans are reinforcing success. Everyone in the New Jersey metro area Wonder serves seems to know about the service. Word of mouth is extremely strong and people are seeing the Wonder vans buzzing up and down the street.
While I can’t verify how many of the app’s reviews are from Wonder employees or Wonder-friendly people, there are too many positive ones (over three thousand at this point) for the early buzz to be contrived. The strong reviews also seem to reinforce what anectodally appears to be a higher than industry average frequency of usage by Wonder customers. I also imagine strong customer metrics are one of the big reasons the company has continued to raise money in an environment much tougher than it was just 6 months ago.
If you’re lucky enough to live in Wonder’s delivery area, drop us a line and let us know your thoughts. I am still unsure how the model scales nationwide, but there’s no doubt that early results show Marc Lore and his team may be creating something special with Wonder.
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