How KFC Netherlands went from zero data to +17% first-party revenue growth with Deliverect Direct

The Client

KFC Netherlands is an operation with more than 90 restaurants across the country, part of one of the most recognisable QSR brands in the world. Oussama Badidi, Senior Digital Manager, leads the digital strategy of the chain in the Dutch market. From that position, he identified a structural gap: when a QSR brand operates exclusively through third-party delivery platforms, it doesn't own the customer relationship. A guest could order every single week, and the brand still wouldn't know their name, their preferences, or even that they existed. To solve this, he led the launch of a first-party ordering app, powered by Deliverect Direct.

The Challenge: A QSR Brand with No Access to Its Own Customers

Before Deliverect Direct, KFC Netherlands operated in an environment where all customer information stayed in the hands of third parties. Badidi sums up the problem with the clarity of someone who has seen the real cost of having no data.

"We had zero data. And without that data, you can't build loyalty, you can't do targeted remarketing, you can't really grow on your own terms."

In digital QSRs, operational reliability isn't just another metric: it's the line between a returning customer and one lost forever.

"When an order fails, the customer doesn't call support; they just never come back. That's the real cost of a failed order."

KFC Netherlands needed a partner capable of bringing it all together under one roof: their own app, third-party platforms, menu management, customer data, and the payment flexibility today's customers expect. The decision was clear: launch a first-party ordering app. That's when Deliverect came in.

The Solution: A Single Platform Unifying a First-Party App, Third Parties, and Real-Time Data

KFC Netherlands had two requirements: own the customer data and unify every channel into a single operation. Deliverect Direct became the engine powering the chain's branded app.

"We chose Deliverect because they had the integration capabilities and the experience working with QSR brands."

For the first time, the chain owned its customer data: ordering history, preferences, and behaviour.

"Beyond margins, we wanted to understand our customers and offer a unique experience to the most loyal ones."

The platform allows KFC Netherlands to manage both its own app and its third-party delivery platforms from a single system — one menu, one operation, every channel. In parallel, the integration enabled 4 new payment platforms within the app, removing one of the quietest but costliest sources of friction at digital checkout.

Actionable Data, Restaurant by Restaurant

Operational visibility changed the way the chain makes day-to-day decisions.

"Every day, data is flowing in. Now you can talk to every restaurant specifically about the performance of yesterday."

That visibility, paired with system uptime above 99%, has transformed the way KFC Netherlands makes operational decisions, freeing its teams to focus on what really matters: serving great food.

Results: Measurable Transformation Across Revenue, Efficiency, and Experience

The launch of the first-party app powered by Deliverect Direct delivered measurable results across every dimension of the business: 17% revenue uplift on the first-party channel, 14% increase in average order value, 10% additional revenue from remarketing powered by first-party data, a 0.05% failed order rate (1 in every 2,000 orders), over 99% online uptime, 16% reduction in manual entry errors, 13% faster order handling, and 4 new payment platforms enabled within the app.

"When an order fails, the customer doesn't call support. They just never come back. That's the real cost of a failed order."

Special Feature: KFC, a Pioneer in AI Agent Adoption

Beyond orders and data, KFC Netherlands has been one of the first QSR brands to pilot Deliverect's AI agent technology. The Treasure Hunt campaign was their first real-world use case: a hidden code customers had to crack to receive a free Boxmeal. A creative mechanic that, under traditional conditions, would have required a full week of manual setup — delivering a 118% sales uplift.

Deliverect's AI agent personalised the campaign, scaled it, delivered it, and prevented fraud in real time — all without manual intervention.

"It helped us align the creative concept promise of our campaign and make it a success."

"That's what I value most: they build with you, not just for you. These agents are going to save operators tens of thousands of euros and weeks of work."

The transformation of KFC Netherlands isn't measured only in percentages. It's the difference between operating blind on someone else's platforms and building a first-party channel where the brand knows its customers, anticipates their behaviour, and grows on its own terms. The model is scalable, and the conversation with AI agents has only just begun.