The use of mobile apps, text messages, and the internet to order food from a restaurant or other foodservice outlet grew by 18% last year and now accounts for 1.9 billion foodservice visits, The NPD Group reported.
While more orders are currently placed using websites, use of mobile apps continues to grow, according to NPD. Dinner is the meal most often ordered digitally, and families are the heaviest users of digital ordering, with 50% of orders placed at dinner time, and 35% of digital ordering includes parties with kids. People under age 35 and those with higher household incomes are among above-average users of digital ordering.
Mobile comfort
Deals and promotions play an important role in digital ordering, with 29% of all digital orders including the use of coupons, according to NPD.
“Digital ordering is now really all about the mobile app,” says Bonnie Riggs, NPD restaurant industry analyst. “Consumers are becoming increasingly comfortable using mobile apps, if restaurants or foodservice operators don’t have a mobile app, consumers may very well choose a restaurant that does.”
Amelia Levin
