Americans Think Delivery Service Makes Their Lives Easier

A new research from Mintel reveals that 87% of Americans who use third-party food delivery services agree that it makes their lives easier, and nearly one-third (31%) say they use these services at least twice a week. 

Despite impressive usage among third-party food delivery consumers, the industry is still relatively new as only 12% of Americans say that they have used a third-party delivery service in the past three months. Among non-users, three in 10 (30%) say that they would rather order delivery directly from the restaurant itself, citing concerns over price, as more than one quarter (27%) believe that delivery fees are too high. What’s more, some 23% of non-users say they live in an area where these companies do not operate.

Another barrier Mintel research highlights is that many Americans crave the experience of actually going to a restaurant: 28% of those who haven’t used a third-party delivery service say that they prefer to eat at a restaurant. Consequently, more than two-thirds (65%) of restaurant delivery users agree that it’s more fun going to a restaurant than ordering in.

Americans who have not used a third-party restaurant delivery service say fast delivery (31%), restaurant selection (28%), low order minimums (27%) and first-use coupons (26%) would motivate them to try it. However, there may be no convincing the older generations, as more than half (53%) of non-users age 55+ say nothing would motivate them to use these services, compared to 11% of non-users aged 18-24 and one-third (33%) of non-users overall.

Despite hesitation from some non-users, restaurant delivery users tend to have positive perceptions surrounding delivered foods as two thirds (63%) agree that it is more convenient to get delivery than dining out with a family. What’s more, three in five (61%) consumers say that restaurant delivery apps are easy to use, while over one third (34%) believe restaurant delivery is faster than picking up food themselves.

Mintel research reveals that “dinner and a movie” is taking an untraditional spin astwo in five (41%) consumers, including well over half (57%) of Millennials, say that they have restaurant food delivered so they can watch movies and TV shows at home.