Delivery and overall orders up, new study finds

Chicago – A consumer report from Technomic has promising findings for restaurant operators worried that delivery orders will overtake dine-in service and carryout orders.

Consumers who are relying more heavily on delivery than in the past also report a net increase in the number of orders they are placing overall, suggests the 2018 Takeout & Off-Premise Consumer Trend Report.

For restaurant operators, this may ease concerns about the potential reduction of dine-in service or carryout orders, Technomic said in a news release.

“Among those who have increased their usage of takeout since 2016, ease of use with regards to mobile apps and websites is increasingly cited as a driving force behind this,” said Bret Yonke, manager of consumer insights at Technomic. “Moving forward, look for third-party delivery companies to seek out greater brand loyalty from consumers by offering subscription-based packages that provide exclusive perks beyond simply waiving delivery fees.”

The report also found that 30 per cent of regular takeout users (those who order carryout or delivery at least once a month) say they typically purchase more food when ordering carryout versus dining in. Another finding was that up to 43 per cent of regular takeout users are willing to pay extra for eco-friendly packaging.

Interestingly, three-quarters of all delivery orders are placed directly through restaurants versus third-party delivery companies,