SINGAPORE — Using food delivery platforms has evolved to become a way of life, according to a recent Censuswide survey of 1,000 Singaporeans in November, commissioned by Deliveroo.
While demand for food delivery services continues to rise in the post-pandemic world, the latest survey finds that they have now become integral in Singaporeans’ daily lives. With more products available on food delivery platforms like Deliveroo, more non-conventional ways of using such platforms have emerged. These include ordering groceries and non-food items, gifting, and doing good through in-app donations. Consumers also claim to be more keen on rider tipping on these platforms, as the sector continues to add value to various aspects of life beyond offering day-to-day ready-to-eat meals.
Food delivery services have become essential in daily life
Beyond the sustained growing demand, food delivery services are now considered an essential part of daily life amongst a large proportion of Singaporeans.
- 68% use food delivery as part of daily life, and an uptrend of 80% expect to use food delivery more in the next 12 months. Nearly 9 in 10 (87%) respondents agree with the statement “I make more of my spare time thanks to delivery platforms.”
- Two of the main reasons cited for using food delivery services were when they did not have time to prepare meals (58%) and when they did not want to cook (58%).
- In terms of expenditure, 62% of consumers expect to spend more on food delivery in the next 12 months compared to the last 12, building on this steady year-on-year demand of 62% from Deliveroo’s survey last year2 that indicated they were using food delivery more regularly compared to pre-pandemic.
- Average spending on food delivery services has also increased to $118 per month from $108 per month in the survey conducted in 2022, with those aged between 46- 55 spending the most at an average of $169 per month.
Customers are willing to spend more for certain types of dishes, with 38% saying that they would pay more for healthier food and 35% for customizable food orders. This is in line with the latest Deliveroo 100 report, with the top five dishes of 2023 in Singapore embodying customers’ need for personalization and healthy ingredients.
Supplementary to food delivery services, self-pick-ups have also grown in popularity.
- Adding to the current positive demand for self-pick-ups, over half of respondents (55%) plan to increase their use of these services on food delivery apps in the next 12 months.
- Over half of the respondents (54%) also say that they consider using self-pick-up services on food delivery apps when they are going out anyway and will be passing by the area where they want to order, and almost half (49%) also cited using such services when they do not want to queue or wait at the restaurant, to maximize their time.
The growing role of food delivery apps beyond the plate
- 49% say that they prefer getting groceries delivered over going to the supermarket.
- If they need to buy a large amount of groceries, 51% cited that they would consider grocery delivery via food delivery apps over going to the supermarket.
- Almost half (47%) also attributed why they would consider using grocery delivery services to save time on grocery shopping at the supermarket.
- Average monthly spending of $111 on groceries via food delivery services, with half of respondents intending to spend more in the next 12 months.
- Over half of respondents (55%) cited that they prefer getting gifts delivered via on-demand delivery services over purchasing them in-store, largely attributed to convenience – especially when they don’t have time to buy these gift items (47%) and when they need something urgently (43%).
- Half of the respondents (50%) agree that they plan to order gifts via food delivery services in the next 12 months.
Beyond ready-to-eat meals, demand for other offerings on delivery apps is similarly on the rise, ushering in a new era of what food delivery services are being used for.
More are now turning to grocery delivery services to save time.
Gift shopping is now no longer a chore as food delivery services expand their on-demand delivery options with customers able to order gift items – such as flowers, hampers, balloons, and more – when on a tight timeline.
These non-food items are gradually emerging in popularity on these apps too, with over half of respondents (53%) agreeing that they prefer getting non-food supplies via food delivery platforms, beyond food, and plan to order these supplies in the next 12 months.
Dishing Out Goodness through delivery platforms stood out. Almost 9 out of 10 respondents (88%) said they are supportive of platforms’ in-app features that allow customers to make contributions to charity. All signs point positive as more consumers become familiar with such in-app features for good, further leading to the expected rise in numbers. This reiterates why delivery platforms like Deliveroo continuously introduce new ways for customers to give back to society, and make it a part of their mission to not only deliver food but do good too.
Coupled with these features, Deliveroo’s recent initiatives also include its donation drive with Food From The Heart, community engagement activities such as #ComingBackTogether for Ramadan, and many more.
Similarly, almost 9 in 10 respondents (89%) said that they are supportive of platforms’ in-app features that allow customers to tip riders. Local tipping culture is growing in prevalence, with over 10% increase in orders with rider tips in 2023 as compared to 2022, according to Deliveroo’s internal data.
Jason Parke, General Manager at Deliveroo Singapore said, “The latest survey results reinforce how the role of food delivery services in Singaporeans’ day-to-day lives has further evolved in today’s landscape. Going beyond ready-to-eat meals, we see how customers are increasingly turning to food delivery platforms for other goods and services that add value to various aspects of their lives. As such, Deliveroo stays committed to bringing the neighborhood to the doorsteps of consumers, transforming the way they shop and eat.”
