Source: Lisa M. Keefe, MEATINGPLACE, 2/10/16


The depth and breadth of the choice of foodstuffs that consumers can have delivered to their door, often on demand, is expanding exponentially — up by one-third since 2012 — according to new research by NPD Group.

Included in the survey were in-home meal kits, such as Blue Apron, as well as foodservice delivery services, including GrubHub and DoorDash. Technology enables these companies to expand the delivery options beyond the traditional pizza and Asian take-out and to speed their delivery to the door, NPD noted in a news release.

NPD’s forecasts that off-premise foodservice will continue to outpace overall restaurant industry traffic growth over the next decade.

“Consumers want the 'dining out’ experience of quality food, but they’re saving money and time by having food delivered to their homes,” said Bonnie Riggs, NPD’s restaurant industry analyst.

In-home meal kits, whether meals to cook from scratch or just assembly, are growing in popularity, particularly in urban areas, but are not nearly as common as foodservice meals.

“I don’t believe we’ll see mainstream adoption of home meal kits, like we’ve seen with foodservice delivery,” said Darren Seifer, NPD’s food and beverage industry analyst. “Meal kit consumers have more expendable income and primarily live in major metro areas. There is definitely a market for these services; it’s just not nearly as big as foodservice delivery.”

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