Canadian market hungry for food delivery

June 4, 2015, Toronto — Canada is increasingly becoming a “food delivery nation” as demand for online food delivery has seen a significant increase in the past year and the growth trend continues to accelerate.

Data shows that Canadians’ demand for food delivery is exponentially growing while also indicating a substantial shift away from traditional foods associated with delivery such as Pizza and Chinese food and toward trendy, ethnically diverse, and healthier options.

“What was once considered the domain of Pizza and Rotisserie Chicken has expanded to reflect the reality of the diverse Canadian restaurant scene” says Cameron Reid, founder and president at Orderit. “We’re seeing an increased demand for online food delivery in Toronto, Vancouver and beyond. It is resulting in over 100 per cent year over year growth in order volumes.”

This is in line with Google search volumes for online food delivery in Canada, which have increased by 258 per cent over the past four years. Similar trends exist in the U.S. and Europe where e-commerce giants such as Amazon, Google and Uber are pushing into the online food delivery space. The United States market for online food delivery is estimated at US$67 billion annually, which translates to a Canadian market worth upwards of $6 or $7 billion. Orderit is poised to capture an increasing portion of this market with new city launches and continuing investment in its technology.

Data from Orderit shows that consumers’ tastes are shifting towards diverse food options with several regional differences; while Butter Chicken is the top seller in both Vancouver and Toronto, Torontonians are more likely to order BBQ, Souvlaki, and Pad Thai while in Vancouver, Banh Mi, Power Protein Salads and Carnitas are gaining in popularity.

Mobile use has increased by 125 per cent over the past year as more and more Canadians reach for their phones rather than desktops when making an online order. “We expect to see a continuous rise in mobile usage in the future” adds Mr. Reid, “… and diners’ demand for more diverse foods has meant that our partner restaurants truly reflect the diverse and adventurous food scene that Canada is quickly adopting.”

Born and bred in Canada, Orderit.ca is the nation’s leader and first to market in the online restaurant delivery space. Founded in 2004 in Toronto, Orderit.ca has grown steadily to other Canadian cities and works with over 1,500 restaurants nationally for online ordering and delivery.