Online Ordering Continues to Rise in Canada
By Angela Altass
Consumer interest in online ordering and delivery services is still climbing as Canadians have become used to the convenience, says Sylvain Charlebois, professor and senior director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University.
“Online sales keep inching up year after year and food delivery is now part of everyday life for a lot of people,” says Charlebois.
A recent Dalhousie University Agri-Food Analytics Lab survey regarding the use of food delivery in Canada found that about 27 per cent of Canadians use food delivery apps at least once a month, which is up from around 20 per cent five years ago. Alberta and British Columbia lead the pack and Uber Eats is by far the most popular platform, according to the survey.
“The main thing holding people back is the cost of both the food itself and the extra fees,” says Charlebois. “Not every business needs to offer delivery options, but most can benefit if they do it smartly. It’s about keeping the menu tight, managing costs, and making the delivery experience reliable. When it’s done right, delivery can help restaurants reach new customers without hurting the dine-in side.”
However, it’s not just food that Canadians are getting delivered to their doors.
“It’s not just take-out meals,” says Charlebois. “Everything from clothes to electronics is showing up at people’s doors more than ever. The parcel market is way bigger than it was before the pandemic, and it’s here to stay.”
Younger Canadians lean into delivery the most, says Charlebois.
“Around four in 10 Millennials and Gen Z order regularly, compared to one in four Gen Xers and about one in 10 Boomers,” says Charlebois. “Urban Canadians are also heavier users than folks in smaller towns.”
People want online ordering and delivery to be simple and transparent with easy ordering, clear pricing with no surprise fees, fast delivery, and food that arrives the way it’s supposed to,” states Charlebois. “Hot stays hot and cold stays cold. Add in order tracking and reliability and you’ve hit the sweet spot.”
The North American 2025 Online Food Delivery Market Report by ResearchandMarket.com says that the online food delivery market will surpass $105 billion by 2033, driven by apps that enhance the customer experience with such features as discounts, reviews, and tracking. The North America online food delivery market reached USD $38 billion in 2024, according to the report. A growing number of food outlets selling healthy and nutritious meals, rising preferences for quick access to food at affordable prices, and increasing adoption of enhanced delivery services are some of the factors noted to be propelling the market.
What started as a pandemic response has become a weekly ritual for Canadians, says Klaas Knieriem, general manager, retail, Uber Canada.
“Today, consumers expect that whatever they need, whether it’s dinner, groceries, pharmacy items, or their favourite Sephora products, should be just a tap away,” says Knieriem. “We’ve invested in building Uber Eats into an everyday delivery app that connects local restaurants and retailers to millions of customers, helping them grow their business while giving customers more choice and convenience than ever before.”
DoorDash Canada’s 2025 Delivery Trends Report notes the following about online ordering and delivery:
- Ninety-six per cent of consumers say they’ve ordered food to satisfy a craving, which means impulse decisions are an area of opportunity for incremental sales.
- Nearly three-quarters of consumers (72 per cent) consider delivery to be a form of self-care.
- More than two-thirds of consumers (67 per cent) sent delivery gifts (food or non-food) in the past year as a holiday gift, thank you gift, or to celebrate a special occasion.
- One in four Canadians (27 per cent) have ordered food delivery twice in a day, and one in 10 (13 per cent) have ordered delivery three or more times in one day.
- Seventy-six per cent of people who order alcohol for delivery have ordered low- or non-alcoholic beverages in the past six months.
Based on a survey of over 2,000 Canadian consumers, the report states that last-minute orders are on the rise, with 63 per cent of consumers placing a last-minute delivery order in the past month. Celebrations are key moments for alcohol delivery with 35 per cent of Canadians ordering drinks for delivery during holidays. Watching sports is another popular occasion with 34 per cent of Canadians ordering alcohol delivery while enjoying a game.
The DoorDash report indicates that customers continue to show a strong interest in loyalty programs with 78 per cent of respondents saying they’re more likely to return to a business where they earn rewards, even if it’s less convenient.
The North American Online Food Delivery Market Report describes online food delivery as the process of ordering food via digital platforms, such as websites or mobile applications and having it delivered to a location within a short time.
The 2025 Paytronix Online Ordering and Catering Report shows that customers ordering through native mobile apps, such as iOS or Android, complete their orders up to four times faster than on web browsers.
“For restaurants and c-stores, mobile-first engagement is now the primary driver of higher order frequency, deeper personalization, and stronger lifetime value,” states the Paytronix report. “These guests order more frequently, engage more deeply with loyalty programs, and respond better to personalized promotions. When loyalty is integrated directly into mobile ordering, order frequency rises measurably, turning one-time buyers into repeat, high-value customers.”
While most orders are completed in three to six minutes, the actual time varies by platform with iOS having an average mean time of 531.67 seconds and an average median time of 232.49 seconds. Android has an average mean time of 1271.72 seconds and an average median time of 258.72 seconds.
Reports are indicating that there is an increasing demand for delivery as consumers view it as convenient, using their smartphones along with high-speed internet to place orders, along with the enticement of discounts, rewards, and coupons encouraging repeat business.
