Food delivery services have revolutionised the take-away trade, on a global level. The birth of gig-economy delivery services such as Deliveroo, coupled with online take-away aggregators like Just Eat, has changed the game entirely, allowing households to order and enjoy food and drink without ever setting foot outside their home. The sheer convenience offered by these services ensures they won’t be going anywhere any time soon, but for restaurants and takeaways alike, competition has become even more fierce. With online ordering and delivery being a global phenomenon, what do ordering habits look like around the world?
In the U.S.A.
Speaking of competition, the U.S.A. represents its pinnacle; the food delivery industry has tripled overall revenue in five years alone, with over 100 million users buying $26 billion worth of food online. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, American cuisine dominated the rankings for most popular foodstuffs ordered by Americans on average. Chicken products, from burgers to dippers and wings, were best-in-class, closely followed by homely staples like mac and cheese. Japanese cuisine was particularly popular with services like Door Dash, who reported that California rolls were the 9th most popular dish ordered through the app.
In the UK
Continuing the trend of popular online deliver orders matching national stereotype, UK consumers were quick to buy fish and chips and Indian cuisine through takeaway services, with Chinese foodstuffs from chips and curry to chicken and sweet and sour sauce also coming out on top. However, delivery users in the UK are also adventurous, using the service to take advantage of supermarket and even drinks deliveries. Be it a mixed case of beer from an independent bottle shop or a range of specially-picked wines, home delivery of craft beverages has become all the rage in the UK.
In China
Local cuisine dominates online delivery statistics across China, with larger chains and independent food stalls alike appearing as options for locals to choose from. While their culinary choices are less telling, the wider delivery industry in China is interesting to say the least; China was responsible for the largest portion of global food delivery revenue in 2021, and its innovation in terms of food delivery methods is second-to-none. Drone delivery programmes have already been rolled out in built-up areas like Shenzhen, indicating where the future of delivery could be headed for the West.
As online ordering and home delivery become ever-more ingrained into our everyday lives, the future is beginning to look more convenient than ever. Whether your chosen takeaway is a lamb bhuna or a pie and chips, you could be looking forward to receiving it from the heavens in the near future!