Convenience is a key reason why consumers use restaurants and other foodservice outlets and there is nothing more convenient than ordering a meal or snack for delivery, which is why delivery now represents 1.7 billion foodservice visits annually, reports The NPD Group, a leading global information company. Delivery is such a popular way to source meals and snacks that one-fourth of all U.S. consumers claim to have ordered a meal via delivery in the past three months, finds NPD.
Young adults are the heaviest users of foodservice delivery, representing 56 percent of delivery orders. As a comparison to other generations, 29 percent of Millennials ordered restaurant foods/beverages via delivery in the last week while nearly 50 percent of Boomers and older use delivery less than once a month. Across the board, consumers using delivery services are very satisfied but young adults are the most satisfied with 93 percent of Gen Z and 87 percent of Millennials very satisfied or satisfied.
Ordering delivery through a website, app, or text is the fastest growing method. Digital orders have jumped from 22 percent or 637 million of all delivery visits in 2011 to 48 percent or 2 billion visits (includes delivery and in-store pick-up) in 2016. NPD reports that 46 percent of all foodservice delivery orders are on a deal because of the easy access to coupons and other discounts.
“Delivery epitomizes convenience, which is the value of using foodservice in the first place,” says Warren Solochek, president of NPD’s Foodservice Practice. “If delivery fits a foodservice operator’s business model and it’s operationally feasible, they definitely need to add it on as an option in order to stay competitive.”
