Canadians currently prefer food-service carry-out over delivery: NPD Group

Toronto – Over the last two years, digital orders for carry-out and delivery from restaurants, bakery-cafés and other food-service outlets have increased by 155 per cent, according to NPD’s continual tracking of the Canadian food-service industry.

Digital food-service ordering has been among the lifelines for Canadians throughout the pandemic and the pandemic accelerated its growth, reports The NPD Group.

Ordering through mobile apps represents the bulk of digital orders. In January 2022, mobile app orders represented 75 per cent of all digital food-service orders. 20 per cent were internet orders, and five per cent were orders sent by text. In the early stages of the pandemic, mobile orders for delivery were more popular than carry-out. Still, as vaccination rates increased and foodservice customers became more comfortable going into restaurants, mobile orders for carry-out increased, and delivery digital orders softened, reports NPD.

In January 2022, mobile app orders for carry-out were up 11 per cent on top of a 151 per cent jump in the same month last year, and delivery mobile app orders were up one per cent compared to a 150 per cent increase in January 2021.

Whether ordered, digitally or non-digitally, carry-out is the most popular off-premises visit. Carry-out orders increased by 11 per cent in January compared to last January. In comparison, delivery and drive-thru visits declined by seven and two per cent, respectively, compared to a year ago. Dining at a restaurant or foodservice outlet continued to be challenged by pandemic lockdowns and restrictions. On-premises visits in January were down -73 per cent from January 2020 before the pandemic.

“Digital foodservice ordering platforms continue to evolve, providing Canadians with many ways to interact with their favourite restaurants,” says Vince Sgabellone, NPD foodservice industry analyst. “While we can expect that digital ordering will soften as soon as on-premises restaurant visits return, it likely won’t be long before the digital providers make headway into this space.”