With many of us stuck at home whether on a governmental lockdown, or just choosing to self isolate at home, it’s not surprising that we’re turning to takeout. If you’re been ordering your favourite food you’re not alone. According to Google’s keyword planner searches for ‘delivery’, ‘food delivery’ ‘takeout’ and ‘takeaway’ have increased by 300% over the past few months. This suggests a sharp increase in how much people are ordering take out and provides interesting insights into people’s spending habits during COVID-19
What Are People Ordering?
In terms of the type of food people are searching for, pizza came out on top in 55/81 of the countries. Perhaps because it’s a food that does very well with delivery, making it an easy choice if you don’t want to go out during the pandemic. In terms of searching for a specific brand, it’s little surprise that McDonald’s came out on top. With over 37,000 stores around the world, it’s the most prolific fast food chain and something many of us crave when we’re feeling stressed. The second most popular fast food joint in terms of searches was actually KFC, and it ranked really well in England, Australia and South Africa.
Which Countries Are Ordering the Most Takeout?
The volume of searches in a particular country gives us an indication as to how many people are ordering takeout there and how often. In the USA, for example, there were about 1 takeaway related searches for every 31 people during the three month data period. Ranking number one on the charts was actually Belgium, with one in ten people searching for take out. Following behind was Australia and the UK, with one in 40 and 44 people searching for something related to take out.
How has Takeout Food Demand Changed During Covid-19?
The truth is this pandemic has changed the way we live so many aspects of our lives, from social distancing, through to wearing a mask whenever in public. But it’s also impacted our eating habits, too. Demand for takeout has shot up right across the board in almost every country. In Mexico, for example, takeaway related searches are up 1,223% while in Canada it’s up 286%. Surprisingly, in the UK, take out related searches are down by a whopping 20%, which is a considerable chunk and likely to be affecting local businesses.
If you’re somewhere where businesses are still closed in the traditional sense, choosing to order takeout a few times a week is a great way to keep local businesses afloat. If you can, try to choose local stores that might not be getting the same exposure as the chain stores.
It’s so interesting to think about all the ways this pandemic has changed aspects of our lives, and how we’re interacting with food is no exception. Have you ordered more or less takeout since the pandemic began? Let me know in the comments below.
