data.ai (formerly App Annie), the first unified data AI company, today released its 2022 State of Food and Drink on Mobile Report. Powered by App IQ, the industry’s first comprehensive taxonomy, the report found that time spent on food and drinks apps has grown 65% YoY in the last year.
The report also found that downloads of Food & Drink apps hit 1.7 billion during the last year, ending March 2022, up nearly 10% YoY. Other highlights include:
- Food Delivery & Carryout apps remain the largest share of total downloads and sessions of any subgenre, representing 57% of total Food & Drink downloads globally in Q1 2022. Sessions in Food Delivery & Carryout apps grew 30% YoY to top 47 billion global sessions.
- Grocery Delivery apps represented 25% of all downloads in Q1 2022. They experienced phenomenal growth at 40% YoY. Engagement grew even faster, total sessions up 70% YoY to 8.6 Billion globally.
- Ultrafast Delivery saw the strongest growth YoY at 266% globally — driven by fast movers like Zepto, Getir and Flink.
“Growth in Food & Drink downloads indicates the market is ripe for user acquisition, but competition is heating up. Growth in total sessions highlights that consumers are forming habits and relying on these apps more than ever to access appetizing food — restaurant-quality or home cooking ready — at the tap of an app.” said Lexi Sydow, Head of Insights at data.ai.
App IQ allows for analysis of in-app features. Of note, data.ai found that apps that offer consumers the option to choose a “Recurring Order” feature, such as HelloFresh and Instacart, may have unlocked one key to driving engagement and retention.
Diving into demographic data, data.ai found that consumer preferences vary significantly by region for key demographics: Food Delivery apps top the charts for Generation Z in the US, UK, France & Brazil, while QSR apps rank #1 in Australia and Germany. Meanwhile, Generation X and Baby Boomers prefer Grocery Delivery apps.
