Market Scenario
Global online food delivery and takeaway market was valued at US$ 164.9 billion in 2023 and is projected to attain a market size of US$ 442.0 billion by 2032 at a CAGR of nearly 11.58% during the forecast period 2024–2032.
A strong consumer demand for convenience is driving the growth of the online food delivery around the world. In America alone, 60% of people order takeout or delivery once per week at the minimum, and over $50 per order is spent by 34%. The main demographic behind this trend are individuals aged between 18 and 34 because they appreciate how much time and effort can be saved by ordering online. Pick up service has been growing rapidly all around the world, especially in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand where it often beats out delivery in terms of popularity. Businesses should take advantage of this point together with the fact that 70% of customers prefer ordering directly from restaurants by optimizing their own platforms so they can achieve both loyalty as well as convenience benefits.
DoorDash and Uber Eats rule the roost in the US online food delivery and takeaway market. Door Dash has a massive commanding position with its share being 66%, whereas international presence coupled with recent profitability trajectory signals strength for Uber eats. Uber eats numbers speak volumes too given unprecedented Q4 bookings recorded during 2022 which saw them partner over restaurant locations. T
The Asia Pacific region has emerged as an epicenter for online food delivery/takeaway industry. Southeast Asia boasts industry giants like GoJek GrabFood FoodPanda Deliveroo among others who are battling it out India where Zomato recently surged into profits thereby highlighting possibilities for expansion vis-a-vis Swiggy; China whose Meituan holds on to staggering sixty five percent share therefore indicating vast potentials within urban meal consumption while other adjacent sectors such grocery travel entertainment have also not gone unnoticed during Meituans quest to maximize revenue streams.
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Market Dynamics
Driver: Convenience Drives Growth, But Perception Shifts
Traditionally, the online food delivery and takeaway market market has been growing at a steady pace of about 8% every year. However, during 2021 to 2023 countries such as the United States and Australia which already had mature markets experienced exponential growth; their market sizes grew four times and two times respectively. In fact, some markets even grew seven times larger than they were in 2018. Even before the pandemic hit, it was clear that delivery sales were on track to soon surpass restaurant industry growth rates in America where restaurants typically grow by only 3-4% every year while delivery services expanded at a rate closer to 7-8%. Obviously, COVID accelerated this trend but strong consumer habits had already formed by then with data showing that 62% of US consumers ordered food online at least once a month prior to COVID, and during lockdowns that number went up to 78%. The biggest reason for this is convenience – nearly half (43%) say they order because they don’t feel like cooking.
These are obviously positive trends for the online food delivery and takeaway market but there are also signs that people’s attitudes towards food delivery might be changing. For example, negative keywords related to takeaways increased by nearly three percent over last year (2022 vs. 2023). At the same time positive sentiment around getting food delivered dropped off slightly while negative sentiment increased which could pose challenges around customer satisfaction going forward. Nevertheless, there are opportunities here too: loyalty programs work well in this space with almost four-in-ten consumers saying they’d spend more if restaurants offered them rewards; therefore, implementing good ones should help drive significant revenue for businesses serving meals via internet platforms.
Trend: Rise of Ghost or Cloud Kitchen Around the World
Ghost kitchens are transforming the online food delivery and takeaway market. Such facilities designed for delivery have no physical stores and are expected to grow rapidly. According to market predictions, they will be worth $130 billion by 2030. These were adopted faster due to the pandemic which met rising demand for deliveries. Restaurants find ghost kitchens attractive because of several reasons. First, it allows them to expand their delivery radius without opening new branches which could be expensive at times. Secondly, they optimize menus for delivery by creating virtual brands within their existing restaurants hence cutting down on operational costs.
While facing difficulties such as fierce competition and operational efficiency management requirements among others; ghost kitchens still see huge investments coming in. This means people believe in this business model’s potential success even though there is more need for better organization controls so as not lose too much money like happened with Reef Technology which got 700 million dollars last November making it clear investors trust this concept that is still new but growing fast powered mainly by internet-based food ordering systems (which include both mobile applications and websites). As these services go on expanding globally across different cities worldwide online food delivery and takeaway market where people love eating out or ordering takeaways often; then cloud kitchen companies shall become very important players catering for consumer desire variety together with convenience in terms of multiple cuisines being offered from one place therefore satisfying many cravings at once there.
Logistics and Last-Mile Delivery: A Complex Challenge in the Food Delivery Landscape
The most important problem in the online food delivery and takeaway market is the complex logistics of “last mile” customer delivery. This means getting hot food within a small radius quickly enough, while still ensuring it is packaged properly to keep its quality. Late or cold deliveries and poor packaging can destroy the user experience, leading to refunds or loss of business. Managing an in-house fleet or using third-party services adds operational complexity. Driver shortages, route optimization and vehicle maintenance all contribute to these problems. Companies invest heavily in technology and infrastructure to optimize last-mile delivery but as order volumes rise this remains difficult.
The online food delivery and takeaway market is also characterized by fierce competition among players vying for customers who are expensive to acquire. The number of apps and services available have created a fight for market share which leads to spending on marketing, promotions and discounts. Often loyalty does not exist among users with them switching between apps looking for best deals available at any given time. Profit margins are squeezed by operational costs as well platform commissions where many restaurants find it hard making money from doing deliveries themselves. To stay ahead, businesses must always be improving user experience thus driving up cost of innovation too as more players enter this space. Therefore, long term profitability becomes elusive even as industry continues growing rapidly there will still be winners only through intense competition that brings about consolidation can such issues be addressed effectively.
Opportunity: Tapping Into the Office and Corporate Catering Segment
The online food delivery and takeaway market has a lot of potential. Currently, it is being underused as a source of income in the catering industry for offices and other corporate institutions. The situation is more pronounced in Europe and America where many people are ordering food from their workplaces. Companies that offer delivery services can benefit greatly if they concentrate on supplying meals to offices alone. Office workers constitute the majority of customers who buy these products regularly without fail. Thus, such a business should expect steady sales volumes while also having opportunities for building strong relationships with clients over time. Moreover, this category solves one major problem faced by employees – monotonous meals during lunch hours. Staff members get tired when cafeterias cannot provide them with different types of dishes every day. On the other hand, external suppliers in the online food delivery and takeaway market bring about satisfaction among workers because they offer diverse menus which change daily thereby making their midday meal enjoyable again and again. Worker’s desire improved job benefits hence employers too will love such an idea since it makes people happy at work thus improving morale levels throughout the organization
To capitalize on this opportunity, delivery providers in the online food delivery and takeaway market should consider:
Segmental Analysis
By Type:
Monthly subscription model is projected to keep dominating the global online food delivery and takeaway market with revenue share 36.6% and the segment is also projected to grow at a CAGR of 11.80% from 2024 to 2032. This pay per month model deviates significantly from traditional methods and offers advantages for consumers as well as businesses. Convenience and value for money are ensured by monthly subscriptions on part of consumers. A study showed that if there is any discount available in terms of dollars or percentage points over fees then Americans would be more willing than not (46%) to sign up with one; office workers especially so since sometimes these come bundled together alongside other things like priority access etcetera which can only be enjoyed by those who choose this particular option among many others too numerous mention herein but not limited.
From an enterprise standpoint, steady cash flow stream predictability makes these kinds of schemes very attractive. Indeed, because once adopted they allow regularity into financial affairs through recurrent income patterns. Thereby stabilizing budgets thereby increasing ability plan ahead long term while getting better return investment at same time. According Zuora, subscription-based service providers in the online food delivery and takeaway market, experienced fivefold increase revenue during year span 2019 through pandemic affected periods as compared against S&P500 companies average annualized growth rate over such period being much lower. Indeed, firms benefitting most from implementing them being able anticipate demand levels will enable them align their resources accordingly. Thus, enhancing efficiency throughout entire supply chain management system coupled with building strong customer loyalty base due to enhanced engagement opportunities provided through closer interaction channels fostered between organizations. Implementing subscription packages offer unique value propositions customers Recurly’s research indicates that patrons who pay regularly are more likely become repeat purchasers compared nonpaying ones upping sales volumes.
By Application:
When it comes to the end user segment, it is immediately apparent that Millennials are at the forefront of the global online food delivery and takeaway market, accounting for an impressive 57.2% revenue share. This is not only due to their sheer numbers but also because of how much they consume, their digital literacy skills and changing lifestyles too. Being mainly city dwellers with fast-paced lives; convenience becomes their second nature hence online food delivery services fit them perfectly well. Their love for tech makes it easy for them to use any digital platform without a hitch which includes among others browsing through menus or paying via mobile wallets after going through reviews.
Spending money on such things as experiences rather than material possessions has become typical behavior among millennials so this positions food as one of the most desired categories particularly different types of cuisine and gourmet offerings. The social media explosion in recent years has also fueled growth within online food delivery and takeaway market where sharing meals can be seen as both a social activity and form self-expressionism. Basically, people go on Instagram or TikTok to post food reviews, unbox meals they ordered from restaurants or just document their culinary adventures all these indirectly advertise various players in the online food delivery business.
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Regional Analysis
The south and north American markets were the second largest online food delivery and takeaway markets after Asia Pacific regions. The vastness of this market in America is largely due to US and Canada economic strengths as well as infrastructural development. This can be justified by expansive urban centres, technological infrastructure of the us alone which act as a cornerstone for such kind of businesses since they have large population that are used to digital convenience services provision. Also, we cannot forget about smartphones; In 2022 penetration rate stood at more than 80% in America thus making it easier for people access apps or any other platform where they can order their favorite meals.
The US witnessed an increase in on-demand food consumption during this era of digital convenience. It was estimated that by 2022, six out ten Americans used these platforms while one out three persons ordered twice every week through third parties. The average revenue per user (ARPU) recorded $325 meaning there was significant spending done by consumers using this service. DoorDash emerged as the leading company in the online food delivery and takeaway market with 45% market share but still more than half of its customers were from other cities who did not have access to their restaurants so it had to open branches there too or partner with local ones which is why sometimes you may find them everywhere even if your location does not fall under their usual coverage area.
Asia-pacific region online food delivery and takeaway market both in terms number of clients served but also fastest growth rate recorded annually over last five years consecutively starting back from 2018 until present day. In 2023, the region accounted for over 42% market share. however, this could change because China alone contributed almost $42.5 billion dollars into overall revenues generated globally within Asia pacific region followed by India contributing around $30 million dollars while rest jointly made up for remaining balance between themselves hence showing how important these two countries are within APAC context specifically speaking regarding context related towards smartphone penetration levels coupled with youthfulness among population segments residing there which acts as catalyst fueling such demand for digital services like ordering meals through apps.
Europe is considered a mature online food delivery and takeaway market with a steady growth. Market size wise, UK, Germany and France are in the lead. In 2022 alone, UK brought in $5 billion while Germany and France each went over $3 billion. Also, online food delivery penetration is highest in the UK with about 40% of its population having access to this service; such numbers are projected to grow at an exponential rate throughout all parts Europe over next five years keeping up with customer demands for convenience and choice when it comes down to their dietary needs being met without any hassles during everyday life activities such as work or school hours which can sometimes make people skip meals altogether thereby leading towards unhealthy lifestyles if not addressed properly in time; so companies like Deliveroo (UK), Just Eat Takeaway (UK, Germany, Netherlands), Delivery Hero (Germany) and Glovo (Spain) have big roles to play here.
List of Key Companies Profiled:
Market Segmentation Overview:
By Type
By Application
By Region
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