Glovo, one order per second in Italy by 2024: up by a third in one year

One order per second, one third more on an annual basis, and a 23% increase in active users. These are the figures for 2024 released by Glovo, which show that delivery is a well-established phenomenon that is still finding room for growth.

As far as the habits of Italians are concerned, ordering on Saturdays is the most popular choice, with weekends accounting for 35% of weekly orders. Dinner in particular: 48% of weekly orders are concentrated between 19:00 and 21:00. But "the real growing trend responds to late night cravings: orders between 11pm and 3am have increased by an incredible 69%," say Glovo.

The variety of orders is growing: smash burgers are the protagonists (+111%) but traditional Italian cuisine and healthier options are not retreating either, increasing by 95%, as is the demand for gluten-free products and dishes (+42%) and vegetarian (+37%) and vegan (+48%) choices.
However, according to Glovo, "the most surprising trends concern niche cuisine: from Thai (+511%), with dishes such as Pad Thai and fried ramen, to Lebanese cuisine (+379%), with dishes such as shawarma and falafel" A separate note then for the "gourmet category, with an increase of 2,914%, testifying to Italians' love of high quality products".

The function of scheduled orders (which allows users to precisely plan the time of their deliveries, adapting them to their routines) is used by 27% of users and "puts Italy at the top of the global ranking of orders in this mode, contributing 42% of Glovo's total orders". Subscriptions have also recorded significant growth (+71%), "demonstrating the growing interest in exclusive benefits and premium services in both large cities and smaller towns," point out the delivery bigwig.

Then there is not only ready-to-eat food, but also a growing number of supermarket orders (+60%), with Saturday as the favourite day for shopping and peaks of orders around 6pm. "Among the records for 2024, the largest global order placed on Glovo stands out, with 200 items purchased in a supermarket in Cagliari, Italy," reads a note, which adds: "Although food delivery remains the beating heart of Glovo, it is its ability to go beyond food that is revolutionising the delivery landscape. As a pioneer in non-food categories, Glovo has bet on multi-category innovation".The numbers confirm its success: retail orders jumped by +64%: "In particular, the boost comes from household products (+265%) and electronic devices (+51%): the most popular requests are for fans (+987%), to combat the torrid heat of the summer months; candles, which always create the right atmosphere; and gardening items, which reveal a growing passion for taking care of green spaces".