Even as lockdown restrictions ease around the world, the use of food and grocery delivery apps continues to rise, new data has shown.
According to App Annie, apps such as Gorillas, UberEats, DoorDash and foodpanda have seen continued use in recent weeks, expanding their regional market availability, introducing new offerings, and finding new ways to stay relevant to consumers.
“Despite many consumers enjoying restrictions being lifted and indoor dining reopening, we are still seeing a spike in both food and grocery delivery app usage the past few months," said Lexi Sydow, head of marketing insights, App Annie.
Apps On The Rise
Food delivery services are also expanding their operations into associated industries – for example, DoorDash recently announced a partnership with Walgreens and Rite Aid to deliver everyday essentials such as groceries and wellness items.
In the grocery delivery space specifically, the Gorillas app is gaining traction in Europe, ranking 13th among all food and drink apps in Germany during the first quarter of the year, while Wolt, another food delivery app on the rise, ranked 20th by downloads.
Also in Germany, DoorDash has just opened new positions, Just Eat has launched a supermarket delivery service, and UberEasts is planning to roll out its service in Berlin.
In Russia, X5 Retail Group recently announced the expansion of its online express delivery service, Okolo, to work with other food market players, including delivery from a number of Moscow restaurants.
Elsewhere, in the UK, retailer Morrisons' app ranked 8th and 10th for its retail and grocery apps respectively, while in Ireland, same-day delivery provider Buymie has expanded its service to Galway and Limerick.
Global Growth
Further afield, foodpanda has undertaken a major expansion of its global footprint on the back of increased demand, particularly in Pakistan, Philippines and Thailand. South Korea’s Baedal Minjok and Colombia’s Rappi have also seen an increase in their user bases in their respective markets of South Korea and LATAM.
In the US, DoorDash ranked #1 among food apps in April 2021 and received 2.1 million new US downloads.
"Not only this, but those who enjoy getting their dinner delivered right to their door also enjoy the same convenience for their groceries," Sydow added. "In fact, 10% of US DoorDash users on iPhones also used Instacart in April, proving that food and grocery delivery apps are a package deal that’s here to stay.”
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. For more Technology news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
