Just Eat rolls out AI voice assistant across Europe

The wider rollout follows launches in the UK and Germany earlier this year.

Just Eat Takeaway.com has rolled out its AI Voice Assistant across Europe, expanding a service that lets customers search for restaurants, groceries, and shops using natural-language voice conversations.

The company said the rollout follows launches in the UK and Germany earlier this year.

It described the service as the first conversational AI assistant deployed at scale by a major on-demand delivery platform across European markets.

The assistant is intended to help customers who have not decided what they want to order.

It can make recommendations based on factors including mood, budget, dietary requirements, and the occasion, according to Just Eat Takeaway.

The move comes as the delivery platform looks to reduce the amount of browsing required before customers settle on an order.

Analysis of customer journeys across Just Eat Takeaway's European platforms found that customers typically browse about three restaurants before ordering.

Almost a quarter of journeys involve four or more restaurants, whilst 43% of customers go directly to a single restaurant.

The company said early UK data showed customers using the voice assistant found what they were looking for about 40% faster than those using its text-only AI assistant.

They were also 30% more likely to select a recommended restaurant or dish than customers using traditional search.

Swiss customers took an average of seven minutes to decide and place an order, making them the fastest amongst the markets analysed.

German customers took an average of nine minutes.

Burgers, pizza, and chicken were the most common cuisine requests made through the AI Voice Assistant, followed by kebabs and Indian food.