Australia leads as fast food nation despite rising rates of inflation

Australians are buying takeaway food up to three times a week, despite cost of living pressures.

New research has found Aussie consumers have turned to takeaway more since national inflation* rises. And we are eating more takeaway than people in the US, UK and France.

The research, commissioned* by global online food company Deliverect, found that 60.47 per cent of Australian consumers* were purchasing up to three takeaways in a week.

That was above the international average of 57.34 per cent.

The number of Aussies ordering takeaway prior to the inflation increase was 55.54 per cent. The survey found that while people were giving more thought to how they spent and saved their money, they were more likely to cut back on other activities than give up their takeaway.

More than half said they would stop buying clothes (52 per cent) or going out for drinks and dinner (56 per cent), while 45 per cent would sooner give up travelling than stop phoning for a pizza or tapping out an order on Uber Eats.

Nonetheless, Deliverect chief executive and founder Zhong Xu said people were “undoubtedly’’ becoming more conscious of how they spent their money due to the rise in inflation and cost of living.

“The research findings may be surprising to some, but evidently people are continuing to prioritise and enjoy the convenience of takeaway and food delivery,’’ he said.

Almost one-third (27 per cent) of people found ordering food from a restaurant via apps such as Deliveroo, Uber Eats and DoorDash were most reliable but 38 per cent preferred ordering directly from the restaurant.

Just over 18 per cent of people preferred to pick-up takeaway directly from a restaurant.

About 7000 people, including 1019 Australians, were surveyed to identify their eating preferences.

GLOSSARY

• inflation: measures the rate of change as the cost of goods and services rises
• commissioned: when a person or organisation has been given a specific task or piece of work
• consumers: people who buy goods and services for personal use

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QUICK QUIZ

1. Australians are now eating more takeaway than people in which three countries?
2. What proportion of Australians are buying up to three takeaways a week?
3. What percentage would forego clothes shopping ahead of giving up takeaway?
4. What percentage of surveyed Australians would give up travelling before takeaway?
5. What percentage preferred ordering directly from the restaurant?

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Takeout addicts
Think of your top three reasons as to why Australians are eating takeaway food more than people in the US, UK and France.

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What are the advantages and disadvantages of this for the average family? Create two columns headed Advantages and Disadvantages and list as many of each as you can come up with.

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Health and Physical Education; Personal and Social; Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
Are you and members of your family more likely to order takeaway food if it gets delivered to your house rather than if you have to go and pick it up? Why or why not?

List three takeaway restaurants in your area and state whether they deliver or just get ready food for pick-up. Would they improve their profits if they offered both?

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Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Personal and Social; Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
BAB it!
Show you have read and understood the article by writing three sentences using the connectives “because’’, “and”, and “but” (BAB).

Your sentences can share different facts or opinions, or the same ones but written about in different ways.

What can you come up with?

Remember to use your VCOP editing skills to read aloud, edit and up-level.