Singaporeans sustains growing appetite for food delivery services in a post-pandemic world

• Baby boomers (aged 56-65) are top spenders, forking out more than $100 monthly on food and grocery delivery services.

• Suburbs overtake the Central region as more Singaporeans embrace hybrid work arrangements as a permanent lifestyle.

• Clementi, Serangoon, and Punggol take the lead among neighbourhoods where Singaporeans are using food delivery services more now compared to pre-pandemic. Singaporeans spend an average of $108 a month on food delivery services, a 62% increase from 2019’s average monthly spend of $67.54.

• Half of Singaporeans want to support small local businesses, and are willing to spend more to support hawkers (50%).

Singaporeans’ appetite for food delivery services is set to grow, according to a Censuswide survey of 1,000 Singaporean foodies in September. The survey, commissioned by Deliveroo, aims to provide a snapshot of the nation’s state of stomach when it comes to food delivery platforms in a post-COVID world.

Food delivery services remain integral in daily life, even more so now than before the pandemic

Appetite for food delivery services have grown, despite the absence of pandemic induced lockdowns and return of dine in restaurants. From Deliveroo’s latest survey results, it is clear that Singaporeans have embraced staying in and ordering in.

More than 60% say they use food delivery services more regularly now, compared to pre-pandemic times. A large majority (70%) anticipate they will use food delivery services at least once a week. On average, Singaporeans spend $108 a month on food delivery services, a 62% increase from 2019’s average monthly spend of $67.54.

Baby boomers are the biggest spenders on food delivery services

While digital natives like Gen Z (73%) and Millennials (64%) are the biggest users of food delivery services, the top spenders are Boomers (56-65 year olds). (61%) respondents in this age group use food delivery platforms more now than before the pandemic, and 58% spend an average of more than $100 monthly.

The next biggest group of spenders are 36-45 year olds. Almost 30% spend more than $100 a month on food delivery services.

Singaporeans are most willing to spend to support local and on healthy food options and sustainable packaging

Singaporeans also shared how they like to spend their money on food delivery platforms. Almost half of respondents want to support local eateries and are willing to pay more to support hawkers. Healthy food options are also top of mind for many Singaporeans, especially 56–65-year-olds (56%) and 36-45 year olds (47%). Over two fifths (42%) of respondents indicate that healthier food options and availability of sustainable packaging are some of the most important factors when selecting a grocery or restaurant for delivery.

These consumer preferences signal Singaporean values such as patriotism and societal shifts around conscious consumption and sustainability.

Grocery orders on food delivery platforms also continue to rise

Almost 60% prefer getting groceries delivered over going to the supermarket. In a survey commissioned by Deliveroo in 2020, only over a fifth said they were most likely to order from grocery stores when using food delivery services.

Deliveroo first launched its grocery delivery services in 2020, offering customers on-demand access to a plethora of grocery products and household essentials. Deliveroo's grocery partners include Cold Storage, Giant, Marks & Spencer and specialty store favourites serving different areas of Singapore, including Blu Kouzina Mart, Ryan's Grocer, Shell Select and Kuriya Japanese Market.

Singaporeans’ taste buds, by neighbourhood

When it comes to choosing what they want to eat, Singaporeans prefer local fare, Chinese food and Japanese cuisine.

Here are some fun facts about different neighbourhoods’ taste preferences:

• Chicken Rice is the most ordered local food on Deliveroo.

• Ang Mo Kio residents have the biggest sweet tooth, with almost 40% who like to order dessert on food delivery platforms.

• In Clementi, almost half (47%) like to order Italian. In the last year alone, Deliveroo received enough pasta orders to feed the entire city of Venice for lunch, twice!

• Singaporeans’ favourite pasta flavours are carbonara, beef bolognese and creamy chicken.

• People in Serangoon must eat a lot of Korean fried chicken, with 67% indicating a preference for Korean food. Since October 2021, Deliveroo has delivered more fried chicken orders than the entire population of Serangoon.

Deliveroo Singapore General Manager, Jason Parke said, “The survey results showcase how food delivery services remain close to the heart of Singaporeans, playing an integral part in their daily lives beyond the pandemic. As demand for food and grocery platforms continues to grow, Deliveroo is committed to serving the diverse taste buds of all our customers. Whether it be nutritious dishes for family dinner night or a late-night Korean fried chicken supper, we want to continue to delight Singaporeans with our wide range of food and grocery selection choices at the best price and with the best service.”

The data was collected via a Censuswide survey conducted on behalf of Deliveroo in September 2022, among 1,000 respondents in Singapore.