CHICAGO – Digital ordering
and mobile apps are nothing new, but for more and more restaurants, this
capability is becoming a must-have, Nation’s
Restaurant News reports. “Digital ordering is growing by double digits in a
market that’s not growing at all,” said Bonnie Riggs, an analyst with The NPD
Group.
Digital ordering grabbed
3% of total restaurant traffic—or around 1.9 billion visits, according to NPD. Although
it’s primarily major chains (most notably pizza chains) that are using mobile
ordering, NPD sees huge growth opportunities for the technology.
“It’s probably going to be
chain-dominated, but they are all going to have to do it,” Riggs said. “If you
don’t have it, [consumers] are going to go someplace else they can use it.”
NPD found that dinner is
the most often ordered meal via digital ordering (50% of digital order), and
families are using digital ordering the most (35% of digital orders include
those with children). Above-average users of digital ordering include those
under the age of 35, those with higher household incomes and African-American
customers.
Most consumers still place
orders online, but mobile app ordering is growing by leaps and bounds. “It really
is all about the mobile app,” Riggs said. “You have to have a mobile app if
you’re going to play in this sandbox.”