Food Carryout and Delivery in the U.S., 2nd Edition

Food Carryout and Delivery in the U.S., 2nd Edition

The U.S. food carryout and delivery market is projected to expand at an average rate of 7.8% annually, reaching $1.0 trillion in 2026. Sales will decelerate after the pandemic-induced boom of sales in 2020 and 2021 when consumers spent more time at home and tended to avoid eating inside restaurants. Food carryout and delivery have been convenient during the pandemic, and these options have helped consumers feel safer if they did not feel comfortable dining in due the coronavirus. In many areas, restaurant dining rooms were closed temporarily, leading to carryout and delivery being the only available restaurant options.

This report focuses on carryout and delivery of prepared meals and food/beverages. Included order fulfillment methods are:

• curbside pickup
• drive-thru orders
• drive-thru pickup
• in-house delivery
• in-store/on-premises pickup
• in-store/on-premises purchase for takeout
• shipping
• third-party delivery

The carryout and delivery market includes foodservice operations as well as sales of site-cooked/prepared, ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat—in the case of refrigerated or frozen prepared foods that have already been cooked—single-serve and family-sized foods and beverages. Items in this report are often sold by retailers in a “grab-and-go” format, although foods and beverages that are made-to-order or packaged by consumers (e.g., pack your own salad at a salad bar) and consumed off-premises are included. Non-foodservice venues include:

• convenience stores
• direct sellers
• discount grocers
• farmers’ markets
• grocery stores
• home delivery and mail order companies
• mass merchandisers
• third-parties/off-premises entities preparing or delivering food on behalf of these venues (e.g., ghost kitchens and third-party delivery services such as Instacart or Grubhub)
• warehouse clubs

All restaurant food ordered for carryout or delivery is included since it is generally ready-to-eat and consumed on-demand; however, retailers sell a wide variety of prepared fresh and frozen foods, many of which are not prepared by the store (or a contracted “ghost kitchen”) in question and are thus not included. Store prepared/cooked items in single-serve portions or family portions that are eaten off-premises and are analogous to a restaurant meal are included, such as:

• items sold at a sandwich/salad/soup bar
• fresh prepared meals sold via direct marketers/mail order companies/delivery companies in single servings or family servings that are ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat, including refrigerated items and items that are flash-frozen for shipment
• items sold at a sushi bar
• items sold at a hot food bar
• pizza (both whole pies and individual slices)
• rotisserie and fried chicken (often sold by the piece, as a whole bird, or in family meal containers)
• single-serve ready-to-eat items (e.g., small cups of fresh cut fruit packed by the store and wrapped sandwiches)

Scope of the Report

Historical and projected foodservice revenues are provided, segmented by type of establishment (eating and drinking places: full-service restaurants, fast food restaurants, fast casual restaurants, other eating and drinking places; and other foodservice establishments) and by dine-in vs. off-premises dining (dine-in, carryout, and delivery).

This report also provides historical and projected food carryout and delivery sales, segmented by carryout and delivery. Food carryout and delivery sales are also segmented by retail category for 2021 (convenience stores, fast casual restaurants, fast food restaurants, full service restaurants, grocery stores, and other retailers). Food delivery sales in 2021 are segmented by type of delivery (direct delivery and third-party delivery).

Additionally, the report has dozens of tables showcasing numerical survey data on consumer demographics and psychographics and numerous marketing photographs. This report goes in-depth on COVID-19 trends affecting the food and beverage market.Primary research also includes national online consumer polls of U.S. adult consumers (age 18+) conducted on an ongoing basis by Packaged Facts to analyze attitudes of consumers and their relevant food and beverage preferences.

Survey data from MRI-Simmons are used to analyze the demographics and psychographics of consumers.

Supplementing Packaged Facts’ exclusive survey is analysis of the 2021 Food & Health Survey conducted by the International Food Information Council, which analyzes consumer food purchase decisions, diet and lifestyle choices, snacking activity, and perception of health benefits in foods. Show more