18 Canadian Food Delivery Statistics

The food industry in Canada has always been thriving. However, the recent onslaught of the pandemic has left the sector reeling, with diners and restaurants closing left and right.

However:

Amid the trying times, one beacon of light has emerged, with the food delivery sub-sector flourishing in the face of lockdowns and restrictions.

The thing is:

The increasing demand for a safer and more convenient way to get food forced most restaurants and food companies to adapt quickly or else risk being left behind.

That’s why food delivery statistics offer a fascinating look into one of Canada’s fastest-growing industries.

Without further ado, let’s dive deep into the facts and figures that will shape the trends in the years to come.

Incredible Food Delivery Statistics for Canada (Editor’s Choice)

• The Canadian food delivery market is projected to reach $98 billion by 2027.
• Canadians spend an average of $32 per order on a food delivery service.
• 49.4% of Canadians will continue ordering food online at least once a week after the pandemic.
• Around 31.3% of Canadians used curbside pick-up or home delivery services from grocers in 2020.
• Food orders through delivery channels grew by 36% in the second half of March 2020 compared to the previous year.
• The delivery and service fee is the main reason why 45.7% of people are reluctant to order food online in Canada.
• Over 50% of restaurants and bars will likely adopt contactless delivery or pickup options permanently.

General Food Delivery Statistics & Trends

1. Canadians spend an average of $32 per order on a food delivery service.

 (Source: Strategyonline.ca, CTV News)

Canadians love their food delivery service, so much so that statistics show one in five use a Canada food delivery service monthly. And they spend handsomely. 

Fun fact: 

According to Skip the Dishes, the most popular food delivery Canada service, 81% of customers have ordered from a restaurant they have never visited in person. Click To Tweet

2. Canadian online food orders amounted to $4.7 billion in 2019.

(Source: CTVNews)

Even before the onset of the pandemic, Canadian take out was on the rise. In 2019 alone, orders accounted for $4.7 billion, nearly $1.5 billion of which went through apps. 

What’s more:

Around 4.2 million more Canadians ordered food online at least once a week in the second half of 2020. Additionally, at least 39% used food delivery apps in Canada at least once a week in February 2020, up from 29% in May 2019.

3. Canada’s foodservice market is projected to reach US$85.54 billion by 2024.

(Source: Globe Newswire)

This is mainly due to the changing demographics. 

Here’s why:

Food products that address health and wellness are becoming more and more popular among Canadians. Specifically, there is an increasing number of health-conscious Millennials and Boomers. These factors give rise to the expected growth of the country’s foodservice market, with experts predicting it to reach US$85.54 billion by 2024.

4. Fast food is the most popular food type for Canadians, at 33.1%.

(Source: Food in Canada)

There are a lot of interesting fast food delivery services facts. A survey found that fast food is popular with one-third of respondents. 

In fact, Canadians from all provinces apart from New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island chose fast food. The next popular food type is fruits and vegetables (22%), followed by dairy products (21.5%). New Brunswick respondents mostly preferred non-perishables, while fruits and vegetables are the most popular type in Prince Edward Island. 

5. 45.7% of Canadians are not willing to pay any delivery and service fee, food delivery statistics confirm.

(Source: CTV News) 

Additionally, 32% of Canadians are only willing to pay a fee of up to 5%. Other reasons for their hesitation to embrace online food ordering include food quality concerns (17.9%) and aversion to other people touching their food (8.6%).

6. The Canadian food delivery market is set to reach $98 billion by 2027.

(Source: Baystreet.ca)

The competition among food delivery tech giants is fierce. In 2018, the market was already worth $24 billion, and it’s projected to grow to a whopping $98 billion by 2027. 

This is huge!

The future is not all rosy, however, as restaurants are held prisoner to exorbitant delivery fees. So, restaurant owners are barely keeping afloat in the midst of the pandemic. Fortunately, some food delivery companies from the sharing economy, like Uber Eats and DoorDash, have waived fees to restaurants in an effort to help restaurants.    

7. The Canadian food industry has committed more than $12 billion to investments in online platforms.

(Source: CTVNews)

In an effort to revolutionize the food industry, the Canadian food sector has promised to invest in online platforms massively. This move aims to convince Canadians to make the shift to online food orders and delivery in the next five years. 

On the other hand: 

As highlighted by the Canadian restaurant industry statistics, there are severe challenges for restaurants that wish to use delivery apps. The method is quite expensive, roughly eating up a massive 30% of an order’s total. And the pandemic has made matters even worse, with eight out of ten restaurants saying they are either losing money or just about breaking even.

8. 55% of survey respondents claimed third-party delivery was only “slightly profitable.” 

(Source: CTVNews)

Many restaurants around the country rely on third-party platforms to provide delivery services. And yet, more than half of the surveyed respondents said this method only gave them slim profits. 

What’s worse: 

21% said they didn’t get any profit at all. A mere 8% said using the delivery platforms was “very profitable.” Clearly, costs are the primary concern of many respondents. For the other 44%, the quality or service control was poor. 

And yet:

9. 73% of restaurant operators believe third-party delivery will continue to grow at double-digit rates, food statistics for Canada reveal.

(Source: Menu Mag)

Many restaurant operators see delivery as both an opportunity and a challenge. Nearly three-quarters agree that third-party delivery will continue to grow significantly in the next five years. 

But this doesn’t mean that Canadians will shun on-premise dining, as 88% of respondents believe Canadians will continue to regard social dining experiences in a very favorable light in the next five years. 

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Food Delivery Statistics during COVID

10. Food orders through delivery channels grew by 36% in the second half of March 2020 compared to the previous year.

(Source: Restobiz.ca)

COVID-19 restrictions put the foodservice industry almost at a standstill. So, food delivery statistics from Canada in 2020 were dire, with some suggesting the sector would likely contract by an astonishing 26%. 

Thankfully, there are some optimistic developments, one of which is the 36% growth in delivery channel orders. This figure includes third-party delivery companies as well as conventional operators.

But who benefited the most? Let’s find out.

11. 55% of Canadians have used SkipTheDishes in the past 12 months.

(Source: Statista)

According to food delivery statistics from 2020, Skip the Dishes was the top online provider for restaurant and online food delivery. About 55% chose it, according to a Statista Global Consumer Survey. Uber Eats and Domino’s were the next most preferred online providers, with 46% and 43%, respectively. 

12. For 33.8% of Canadians, convenience is the top reason to order food online during the pandemic.

(Source: Food in Canada)

In the trying times of the global pandemic, Canadians cited convenience as the primary driver of their online food orders. Unsurprisingly, the second reason for ordering through take out food apps is concerns about the virus (13.8%), with the people of Nova Scotia recording the highest percentage. Additionally, another 6.9% of Canadians order food online because of mandatory self-isolation.

13. 31.3% of Canadians used curbside pick-up or home delivery services from grocers between March and November 2020.

(Source: Food in Canada)

A survey conducted in November 2020 found that Canadians readily took to using a food delivery service in one shape or form in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Here’s the scoop:

A total of 31.3% favoured curbside pick-up or home delivery services. Next, 28.6% opted for an online service to get direct food delivery from a restaurant. Finally, about 26.3% preferred to get their food from a restaurant through a phone app. 

But not everyone’s on board.

14. 57% of Baby Boomers have not ordered food online during the pandemic. 

(Source: CTVNews)

While online food orders surged during the peak of the pandemic in 2020, a sizable portion of the population did not purchase any food online. In fact, a full 37.2% of Canadians admitted to not having purchased food online during the pandemic. Looking at the demographics, this was the case for 57% of Boomers, compared to only 29% of Millennials.

15. One in ten Canadians have tried a meal-kit service for the first time during the pandemic, food delivery statistics for Canada confirm.

(Source: Restobiz.ca)

Meal delivery kits have gained popularity in Canada over the years. 

Why?

Many people claim they helped them expand their recipe repertoires and reduced the amount of time they spend cooking. 

Even so, many Canadians still only tried the meal-kit service for the first time during the pandemic. Encouragingly, 65% of them said they would continue to use meal-kit delivery in the next 12 months.

16. According to online food delivery statistics, orders for hot wings rose by 1,400% in 2020. 

(Source: CTVNews)

Let’s face it:

We all love comfort food, especially during trying times. And according to a report from DoorDash on trending items, the most ordered foods were burritos, butter chicken, chicken nuggets, poutine, and onion rings.

But what about the figures?

Well, the study found a mind-blowing 1,400% increase in hot wings orders from 2019. The same astonishing thing happened to mozzarella sticks, with orders growing by 1,700%. At the same time, the report noted that 60% of Canadians actually want to eat healthier.

Go figure.

17. 49.4% of Canadians intend to continue ordering online at least once a week after the pandemic.

(Source: CTVNews)

The lockdowns and restrictions forced much of the population to depend on a Canada food delivery app. Altogether, 45.4% of Canadians ordered food online at least once a week. And this trend is likely to continue even when the pandemic is over, with 49.4% saying they will keep ordering online at least once per week even without the threat of COVID-19.

18. More than 50% of bars and restaurants say they will likely adopt contactless delivery on a permanent basis.

(Source: 150 Stat Can)

The food service industry in Canada has experienced ups and downs with the implementation of lockdowns and restrictions. And the surge of cases at the end of 2020 contributed to the ongoing instability. 

Fortunately, bars and restaurants are prepared to take on the challenge. 50.7% of respondents from the sector are willing to permanently adopt contactless delivery or pickup options. 

And that’s not all:

27.5% have an online sales platform or have plans to implement one. This is a massive boost in the Canadian food delivery services sector.

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Wrap Up

The COVID-19 pandemic seemed to deliver a massive blow to the Canadian service industry. Restaurants and bars closed in the tens of thousands, and many people lost their jobs as a result.

But as one door closes, another opens. As a result of the lockdown and social distancing measures, people rushed to order food online, food delivery statistics confirm. And as we’ve seen, nearly half of Canadians intend to keep this habit and order online on a regular basis even after the pandemic is over.

So, is this the new normal? Let’s discuss it while we’re waiting for our poutine delivery.