Food Delivery: Industry Trends 2023

If you thought food delivery had hit its peak in 2020 during the pandemic, then you are in for a surprise in 2023. Market analysts predict that food and home-delivery meals will take off in the coming year due to several emerging trends pushing the market to grow even further.

COVID-19 forced us to stay at home and shifted the eating out trend to eating in our homes. In addition, there was also an unprecedented rise in the e-commerce sector and growth in food subscription services. The convenience of home-delivery meals has made it easy for busy people to eat healthy without the pain of preparing and cooking. 

In this blog, we will explore some trends in the food delivery sector that we can expect to see in the coming year.

Upcoming Trends in The Food Delivery Industry in 2023

The Rise of Subscription-Based Home Delivery Meals

The latest trend in home delivery meals will include subscription-based meal plans and services for convenience. Pre-made meal delivery services are now offering meal bundles for working professionals who are low on time for prepping and cooking. These subscription-based meals are often customisable according to your diet.

Variety and convenience are the two main reasons behind the predictable rise of home-delivery meals. Getting healthy, freshly cooked meals delivered to your doorstep is a lifesaver for busy professionals and families. Moreover, subscriptions offer variety to the customer’s palette, who would have otherwise gotten bored eating the same meals daily.

With several cuisines on the menu, these meal bundle subscription services offer options to suit your tastes. Affordability is one reason for the growing popularity of food delivery subscriptions. 

Sustainable Food Delivery System

The modern consumer is increasingly becoming more eco-conscious with every passing day. This has resulted in the emergence of sustainable food delivery methods as one of the hottest trends of 2023.

Consumers are becoming more aware of the carbon footprint left behind by brands and businesses, and home delivery meal services will need to adapt to sustainable solutions. Coming up with sustainable food delivery solutions is necessary to adapt to the latest customer demands. 

This will not only shine a positive light on the brand but also cut down on food waste and pollution. The following are some ways you can run a greener home delivery service:

  • One of the simplest ways to go green is to use recyclable packaging materials. You can use recycled material to pack your food and deliver it to the customers. This would reduce the amount of waste filling the landfills and lead to food waste being composted rather than dumped.
  • Using electric-powered vehicles to deliver food will not only help reduce fuel costs but also cut down carbon footprint to a huge extent. Many home delivery meal companies have switched to electric-run vehicles to reduce the impact of fossil fuel emissions on the environment.

Rising Demand for Alternative Plant-Based Food Options

Experts predict that plant-based protein and “meat” will be one of the biggest growth areas of the food industry in 2023. At the time of writing, this alternative dietary option already accounted for $150 million and is predicted to grow further in the coming year.

Food Innovation Australia (FIAL) reports that this new trend will add $5 billion in value-added opportunities and has the potential to create 6000 new jobs in the food delivery industry in the next ten years. Moreover, it will open up many opportunities for manufacturers already dealing with alternative protein options like nuts, seeds, and seaweed.

Maintaining an In-House Home Delivery Meal System

Lastly, it is also predicted that home delivery meal services with their in-house delivery fleet will trend in the coming year. Delivery services will likely invest in maintaining their fleet of bikes rather than depending on third-party services.

In Conclusion

The food delivery industry has seen an unprecedented and drastic change in the last few years. Yet, it is not showing any signs of slowing down. On the contrary, new emerging trends and technologies like the ones discussed in the article are helping the sector grow to new heights.