New Delhi, May 3 -- Eternal (Zomato) on Thursday said that a slowdown in its food ordering business could be attributed to an increased preference among consumers for ordering food products through quick commerce applications.

The food aggregator suggested that "competition from the rapid delivery of packaged food through quick commerce platforms might be leading to a drop in demand for food delivery from restaurants."

The company also pointed to a broader slowdown in consumer expenditures, which could potentially encourage more at-home dining rather than ordering in. To be sure, overall competition in the quick commerce space has accelerated over the last 12 months.

Apart from quick delivery platforms-which offer everything from froze...