Food delivery apps are a full swing these days. It has enhanced a billion-dollar business. These apps never fail to gravitate people towards them. The global food industry has been revolutionized by online food delivery systems. If you are a person who wants to know more about the trending food delivery industry, then this list of food delivery statistics has you covered.
Let’s dive into this statistics report with detailed comparisons and background information about the food delivery statistics.
On this page, you’ll find:
- Revenue Generated From Online Food Delivery
- People’s Addiction Towards Online Food Ordering
- The Popularity of Food Delivery Apps Amongst Consumers
- Consumer Preferences and Trends
- Food Delivery Demographics
Key Food Delivery Statistics
Here are the top stats from the plethora of figures we have collected for you:
- Revenue in the Online Food Delivery segment amounts to $9,207 million in 2020 (Restro App).
- The market’s most significant segment is Restaurant-to-Consumer Delivery with a market volume of $4,934 million in 2020 (Restro App).
- To watch movies and TV shows at home, 57% of the millennials have their food delivered (Mintel).
- 56% of the consumers have restaurant food delivered so that they don’t have to leave their home (Mintel).
- Since 2014, compared to dine-in traffic, digital ordering and delivery have grown 300% faster (Nation’s Restaurant News).
- The total number of food delivery app users was predicted to grow from 36.4 million to 45.6 million during the pandemic. (Statista).
- In 2019, consumers spent $11 billion on pizza delivery (Comfy Living).
- An 18% increase in customer spends from online or mobile orders versus phone orders was reported by pizza chains (Upserve).
- 41% of consumers use a multi-restaurant delivery website/app at least once within 90 days (Zion and Zion).
- Of those who have used these multi-restaurant delivery websites/apps, nearly 50% have only used them once or twice in the past 90 days (Zion and Zion).
Revenue Generated From Online Food Delivery
The United States of America has one of the most competing food delivery markets. Over the past 5 years, the food delivery market has witnessed significant growth. Led by platform-to-consumer services, food delivery has expanded from takeaways to anything and everything, adding billions of dollars in potential revenue capture. COVID-19 has propelled the industry a few years into the future, as millions of people ordered food online for the first time during the lockdown. Here is an insight into the online food delivery market’s revenue.
01. Revenue in the Online Food Delivery segment amounts to $9.2 billion in 2020. (Restro App)
02. The market’s most significant segment is Restaurant-to-Consumer Delivery with a market volume of $4.9 billion in 2020. (Restro App)
03. In 2020, mobile orders contributed around 11% of the total Quick-Service Restaurant sales. (QSR)
04. Revenue in the online food delivery segment is estimated to reach $151,526 million in 2021. (Statista)
05. Revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2021-2024) of 6.4%, resulting in a projected market volume of $182,327 million by 2024. (Statista)
06. In the past 5 years, food market revenue has increased by 204%. (Business of Apps)
07. When ordering food online, 34% of consumers spend at least $50 per order.(Statista)
08. Restaurants that manage their own delivery generate around $184.18 per customer. (Restro App).
10. By 2023, revenue per customer will soar to $12 who have their own delivery service, opposed to an $8 per customer increment for those who depend on third-party delivery platforms. (Restro App)
09. 60% of restaurant operators say that offering delivery has generated incremental sales. (Restaurant Business)
People’s Addiction Towards Online Food Ordering
Undoubtedly, the most convenient way to escape from cooking your food is by ordering food online. Apart from the lack of desire for cooking, people also order food online to satisfy their hankering for distinctive cuisines. Multiple payment options, attractive offers, and discounts have paved the way for constructing an impressive image in people’s minds about the benefits of online food ordering systems. This list of online food ordering statistics will explain how important online food ordering systems have become.
11. To watch movies and TV shows at home, 57% of the millennials have their food delivered. (Mintel)
12. 56% of the consumers have restaurant food delivered so that they don’t have to leave their home. (Mintel)
13. 43% of people state that the primary reason for ordering food online is because of their lack of interest to prepare food. (Statista)
14. 28% of the people ordered food online to save time from cooking and cleaning. (Statista).
15. Rather than dining out with their family, 63% of the consumers agree it is more convenient to get their food delivered. (Mintel)
16. Compared to a regular dine-in experience, 20% of consumers spend more on off-premises orders. (Restaurant Business Online)
17. Offering mobile ordering or loyalty programs would encourage 45% of consumers to use online ordering services more often. (Nation’s Restaurant News)
18. 87% of Americans who use third-party food delivery services agree it makes their lives easier. (Mintel)
19. Consumers who order food online from a restaurant will visit that restaurant 67% more often than those who don’t. (Pizza Magazine)
20. Once customers sign up for an online food ordering app, 80% of them never or rarely leave for another platform. (Restro App)
The Popularity of Food Delivery Apps Amongst Consumers
The USA has set the trend with on-demand food delivery apps. Time has become the most valuable factor for people in this corporate-driven world. This has accelerated the growth of the food delivery market with door-step food services becoming a promising profitable option. Food delivery services like Grubhub, UberEats, and DoorDash are transforming the way people get their meals. Let’s dive into a statistical collection of these popular food delivery apps.
21. Since 2014, compared to dine-in traffic, digital ordering and delivery have grown 300% faster. (Nation’s Restaurant News)
22. The number of food delivery app users was predicted to increase from 36.4 million users in 2019 to 45.6 million users in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Statista)
23. The growth of the food delivery apps is expected to continue, with an estimated 53.9 million users by 2023. (Statista)
24. Restaurant sales volume got raised by 10 to 20% after working with a third-party delivery service. (Nation’s Restaurant News)
25. At least twice a week, 31% of consumers use third-party delivery services. (Mintel)
26. 43% of restaurant professionals said they believe third-party apps, many of which withhold data, interfere with the direct relationship between a restaurant/bar/pub and its customers. (Pizza Magazine)
27. 33% of consumers are willing to pay a higher fee for a faster delivery service. (Restro App)
28. Grubhub has been used by 37.8% of all multi-restaurant delivery website/app users. (Zion and Zion)
29. UberEats is the second most installed food delivery app in the U.S with over 4.5 million downloads in 2019. (Enuke Digital Power House)
30. Doordash is the most preferred food delivery service. (Comfy Living)
Consumer Preferences and Trends
After a very tiring day at work, there is nothing more satisfying than relaxing at home and enjoying a scrumptious meal of your choice. According to the latest data, more and more people are ordering food online as it is more convenient and hassle-free. Increased variety and customization of food are in high demand. Now, it’s time to cover a selection of food delivery statistics focused on what people’s cravings are.
31. In 2019, consumers in the US spent $11 billion on pizza delivery. (Comfy Living)
32. An 18% increase in customer spends from online or mobile orders versus phone orders was reported by pizza chains. (Upserve)
33. The number of orders for buffalo chicken pitas in Alabama is 201% higher than the baseline order volume for buffalo pitas in the US as a whole. (Eater)
34. Cauliflower pizza rose to 650% in popularity in 2019. (Comfy Living)
35. The top three items that spiked the sales in 2020 compared to 2019 are sandwiches and wraps (+21%), burgers (+10%), and pizza (+9%). (Upserve)
36. Only about 2% of the consumers preferred to order BBQ. (Upserve)
37. In 2020, the spicy chicken sandwich experienced a nearly 300% rise in popularity on Grubhub. (Bake)
38. Chicken is the most common delivery item among food delivery services GrubHub and DoorDash users. (Eater)
39. According to a Grubhub study, a majority of 2019’s top foods are comprised of vegetarian or vegan-friendly options. (Food Navigator)
40. Indiana had the fewest vegan meal orders while, the state of New York ordered mostly vegan meals, followed by California. (Comfy Living)
Food Delivery Demographics
The rise of food delivery has become a major trend among consumers across all demographics. This also means that there is a new entity between restaurants and their patrons, which introduces several customer services, branding, and profitability challenges. Let us look into the demographic statistics to understand how prevalent the use of these multi-restaurant delivery websites/apps is, as well as their relative popularity.
41. 41% of consumers use a multi-restaurant delivery website/app at least once within 90 days, (Zion and Zion)
42. Of those who have used these multi-restaurant delivery websites/apps, nearly 50% have only used them once or twice in the past 90 days, (Zion and Zion)
43. In large suburbs, online ordering rose by 3,868% between February 2020 and April 2020. (Upserve)
44. Younger and wealthier Americans continue to favor ordering delivery while their older and poorer group has not raised their buys to any notable extent. (Axios)
45. Between February and March, the percentage of parents using delivery apps increased from 16% to 20%, while non-parents saw their share increase from 27% to 28%. (Axios)
46. 34% of consumers aged 18–24 use online services for food delivery to get food from restaurants that don’t provide their own delivery services. (Comfy Living)
47. In 2018, 59% of Grubhub users were men who ordered at least once a week. (Comfy Living).
48. Men Grubhub users mostly ordered burgers (31%), BBQ (27%), and Chinese (23%) while female Grubhub users preferred Chinese (32%), Mexican (27%), and burgers (25%). (Comfy Living)
50. The less income a customer earns, the more likely the customer is to take benefit of restaurant delivery services. (Zion and Zion)
49. On a date, 41% of women prefer pizza when ordering food online. (Comfy Living)
Frequently Asked Questions
Restaurant delivery has displayed growth of 20% in the last 5 years. Online food delivery sales are estimated to grow as high as $220 billion by 2023 – 40% of total restaurant sales. COVID-19 has quickened the growth of food delivery apps. With online orders growing at a swifter pace than ever, the challenge is to balance the customer demand for fast, convenient, and transparent delivery with the logistical complexity and expenses required to meet these demands.
Food delivery apps became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has become the best way to procure your favorite food delivered home without any inconvenience. It has helped the customers resolve their needs more smartly. Many food delivery apps have adopted contactless delivery to keep customers happy and healthy.
Given the annual $350 billion US restaurant spending, the runway for online food delivery is long. The total addressable market for online delivery is set to grow from $325 billion in 2020 to $470 billion by 2025. Online food delivery spending in the U.S. could grow at an eye-catching 18% annually, jumping from 6% penetration in 2021 to 13% in 2025.
Food delivery apps are simply a mediator between customers and restaurants. The customers subscribe to a particular app, search for restaurants, choose a dish, place an order, and make a payment online. These apps earn revenues based on a commission-based model. The restaurant has to pay a certain commission to the app owner when a customer places an order. Delivery providers typically charge restaurants 15% to 30% on every order they fulfill.
The food delivery industry started to flourish during the pandemic, and so is the controversy over how third-party delivery companies operate. The majority of restaurants depend on third-party delivery services. As a result, the fees and commissions delivery companies charge are swallowing most of the profit. Restaurant owners are losing money. Diners see their expenses increased, either by delivery firms who have to pay delivery drivers or by restaurant owners who raise rates to compensate for delivery fees. Delivery drivers make low, unpredictable wages with no benefits.
Conclusion
The popularity of ordering food online is remarkably swift. The fact that Americans enjoy the dining out experience is undeniable. But consumers want to enjoy their favorite restaurant meal in the comfort of their own home. This is creating an opportunity for restaurants to offer delivery services or partner with a third-party provider. The online food delivery market is expected to grow further and faster in the coming years. Saying so, we conclude this report on food delivery statistics.