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Case Study

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Dentro do escritório do iFood

iFood Expansion in Ribeirão Preto

The Scenario

The company was just taking its first steps in a market very different from today, where it has since become a national reference in food delivery across multiple categories.

At the time, with around 300 employees, iFood was mainly known as an app for ordering pizza, burgers, and simple lunch boxes - reflecting the typical delivery habits of Brazilian consumers. The concept of ordering gourmet meals at home wasn’t yet established, and that was precisely the company’s goal: to expand the range of food options while encouraging the idea that any type of meal could be delivered.

This vision wasn’t exclusive to iFood. Competitors like Rappi and Uber Eats were aiming for the same objective, igniting a fierce race for market share.

The Product

The Challenge

A food delivery platform with or without logistics support - iFood’s app allowed restaurants to receive orders with or without a third-party delivery driver.

Increase the number of orders per customer, expand restaurant variety, boost geographic coverage, and gain market share in Ribeirão Preto — a city where most restaurants didn’t believe in delivery as a serious revenue channel.

At the time, competitors like Rappi and Uber Eats were investing aggressively to win restaurants over, offering incentives as high as R$10K, R$30K, or even R$50K to secure partnerships.

Time ifood

The Strategy

  1. Lead by example: Partner with the city’s top 10 gourmet restaurants — even those unfamiliar with delivery — to use them as market references.

  2. Leverage existing demand: Bring the city’s top 5 delivery-focused restaurants onto the platform to instantly boost volume and visibility.

  3. Discredit the competition: Emphasize iFood’s unmatched expertise and leadership in food delivery to position ourselves as the trusted partner.

  4. Full offering strategy (360º): Build a complete and diverse network of restaurants — from high-end to local and peripheral — offering everything from lunch boxes and burgers to gourmet meals and desserts.

  5. Post-sale consulting: Provide restaurant partners with commercial guidance and support from day one, strengthening relationships and boosting long-term performance.

Execution Plan

  1. Field Team Setup: A three-person local sales team with deep knowledge of the city. Two closers focused on different segments — gourmet and peripheral — and one post-sales consultant.

  2. Strategic Hiring: We brought in a high-performing sales talent from a direct competitor. To avoid tension with existing clients, the hire was initially placed in another region, then later reassigned to Ribeirão with significant success.

  3. Market Positioning: From the very beginning, we made a strategic decision not to use financial incentives like competitors. Instead, we positioned iFood as a long-term revenue partner, not just a transactional tool.

  4. Flexible Pricing: In select cases, we offered a 3-month commission reduction as a trial period — a soft entry point to build trust and prove value.

  5. Relationship Building: We maintained regular touchpoints with the city’s top 10 restaurants — in-person visits, performance reviews, and opportunity mapping — to strengthen partnerships and loyalty.

  6. Success Stories: At least three restaurants saw a dramatic increase in sales after joining iFood, validating the platform as a profitable new revenue channel.

  7. Leadership Involvement: Senior leadership made strategic monthly visits to unlock complex negotiations and deepen relationships. Our top 10 restaurant partners received dedicated consulting throughout onboarding, operations, and marketing improvements.

Results

Ribeirão Preto became one of iFood’s Top 5 cities in market share nationwide. The city achieved one of the best platform coverage rates in Brazil — with no underserved regions — and integrated nearly all of its top restaurants into the platform.

These restaurants didn’t just join. They thrived. Many became leaders in their segment, showing exceptional growth through iFood as a delivery channel.

Additionally, Ribeirão reached the highest order-per-customer rate in the entire São Paulo countryside, proving the strength of our strategy around coverage, diversity, and market education.

And always remember:

celebrate every win with your team!

Team Restructuring

With the top restaurants already onboard, the closers evolved into hybrid roles, handling both sales and post-sales for high-potential accounts. Mass acquisition was transitioned to the internal sales team, while field closers focused solely on high-volume, strategic opportunities.

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