How CKaaS Helps Increase AOV for Delivery Businesses

What Is AOV & Why It Matters for Delivery Businesses

Average Order Value (AOV) is the average amount a customer spends per order on Swiggy, Zomato or your own ordering channel. It’s one of the most powerful levers in a delivery-only business, especially when commissions and packaging costs are high.

Instead of only chasing more orders, increasing AOV helps you earn more contribution margin per delivery. The rider cost, packaging cost and aggregator commission are already being paid-so every extra add-on, side or upgrade directly improves profitability.

How CKaaS Naturally Helps Boost AOV

CKaaS is more than “just” kitchen outsourcing. Because the model is built around menu engineering, SOPs and aggregator optimisation, it is uniquely suited to push AOV upwards in a structured way.

1. Menu Engineered for Basket Building

A good CKaaS partner will design your menu so that customers are nudged towards mains + sides + drinks instead of just one hero item. Portions, pricing and add-ons are thought through keeping AOV and contribution margin in mind.

2. Smart Add-Ons & Customisations

CKaaS menus typically include paid add-ons (extra cheese, extra protein, dips, sauces, toppings) and customisation flows that increase bill value without slowing the kitchen down.

3. Combos That Make Financial Sense

Instead of random discount combos, CKaaS teams build combos where food cost %, portion sizes and pricing are aligned to your AOV target. The combo feels like a deal to the customer but protects your margins.

4. Multi-Brand, Multi-Category Upsell

In a CKaaS network, your brand can naturally cross-sell into other categories running from the same kitchen-salads, desserts, drinks or sides-giving the customer more reasons to add “just one more item” to their cart.

Menu Strategies CKaaS Uses to Lift AOV

Here’s how a CKaaS-driven menu is structured to gently push customers into higher-value baskets while still feeling natural and customer-friendly.

1. Price Ladders Within a Category

Instead of one flat price, you’ll typically see a good-better-best ladder. For example: Classic Bowl, Loaded Bowl, Premium Bowl. Many customers naturally pick the middle or top option, pulling your AOV up.

2. Sides & Small Bites Under ₹99-₹149

Well-placed, correctly priced sides are AOV gold. CKaaS menus often include fries, garlic breads, dips, salads or small bites that are easy to drop into the cart right before checkout.

3. Family Packs & Sharing Boxes

For high-intent customers (weekend dinners, families, office orders), CKaaS menus offer family packs and sharing boxes that push order values into the ₹700–₹1,200 range while keeping kitchen execution simple.

4. Bundled Drinks & Desserts

Simple add-ons like iced tea, juices, desserts or brownies can be plugged into combos and post-cart prompts. Because they are prepped in bulk, they lift AOV with minimal extra effort in the kitchen.

Using Swiggy & Zomato Tools to Increase AOV

CKaaS teams work inside Swiggy and Zomato every day. They know which levers actually move AOV and which discounts only burn cash.

Smart Offer Structures

Instead of flat discounts, you can run “Save ₹80 on orders above ₹499” or “Free dessert above ₹599”. This encourages customers to cross the threshold and add more to the cart.

Add-On Prompts & Recommended Items

Swiggy and Zomato both allow recommended item and add-on placements. CKaaS ensures these are aligned with your high-margin sides and drinks instead of low-margin fillers.

Daypart-Driven Combos

Breakfast, lunch and late-night can each have different AOV-focused offers– office lunch combos, working-late combos, game-night sharing boxes-all managed by the CKaaS operations and marketing teams.

A Simple AOV Uplift Example (Illustrative)

Let’s say your single main dish averages ₹260 per order.

• Customer adds a side at ₹99 and a drink at ₹79
• New bill value becomes ~₹438
• Aggregator commission and rider fee are almost the same as the ₹260 order

The extra ₹178 is largely additional contribution margin-and this is exactly the kind of uplift CKaaS tries to build into your brand through menu design, offers and SOPs.

Which Brands Benefit the Most from AOV-Focused CKaaS?

Bowls, Combos & Full-Meal Brands

Rice bowls, ramen, burgers, hotdogs, salads and thalis are naturally suited for add-ons and sides. CKaaS can turn them into high-AOV, combo-friendly menus.

Category-Stack Brands

Brands that can sell mains + drinks + desserts from the same kitchen see the maximum AOV gain, because every category becomes an upsell opportunity inside one order.

Multi-Location Delivery-Only Brands

When you run the same playbook across multiple CKaaS kitchens, the AOV uplift compounds. You’re now earning better contribution margin from every micro-market, not just one store.

FAQ: CKaaS & AOV for Delivery Businesses

Can CKaaS really increase AOV without heavy discounts?

Yes. The goal is to sell smarter, not cheaper. Well-designed combos, add-ons and price ladders lift AOV while keeping food cost and discounts in control.

Will more items per order slow down my kitchen?

Not if the menu and SOPs are built correctly. CKaaS focuses on assembly-friendly, prep-in-advance items so your team can handle bigger baskets without chaos.

How fast can I see AOV improvements?

Once the menu, offers and add-ons are correctly configured on Swiggy/Zomato, brands usually see AOV movement within a few weeks-depending on order volume and campaign activity.

Does AOV matter if my order volume is still low?

Yes. Early-stage brands benefit a lot from higher AOV because it gives you more cash flow per delivery to reinvest in marketing and rating improvement.