Data Shows 18% Decline in Orders on Food Delivery Apps Over The Summer in UAE

If you're a food delivery operator in the UAE, this new data from Revly shows the impact of the summer months on food delivery orders across the country.

Summer food delivery app order trends in the UAE

We analyzed 5 million orders between May and October 2024 running through Revly's delivery app marketing and analytics platform. The data reflects total orders across the four main delivery apps in UAE - Talabat, Deliveroo, Careem and Noon.

The latest research from shows clearly the impact on food delivery operators during the summer months in UAE with orders dropping by as much as 18% from their May peak, to their low in August.

The research clearly shows a big impact on orders across UAE over the summer. Key highlights include:

• June remains a strong month for delivery app orders
• At the start of July orders begin dropping rapidly
• Orders remain low and bottom in mid august falling to 18% below their May/June peak
• Orders bounce back in September but remain 5-10% from their peak
• In October orders recover and the market enters peak season again.

What causes the decline in orders?

The summer off-peak season is a well known part of seasonality for food delivery businesses in the UAE as the market, and especially Dubai, is hit by the double punch of a large drop in tourism, combined with high number of residents taking vacation.

But this data shows the drop in customer demand only begins in July, and not June, so restaurants should still be competing as aggressively as possible all the way up to the end of June. September can be considered a bridge month between the lows of August and full recovery by October.

How should restaurants react to these trends?

The first thing to note is that everyone is in the same boat and that orders across the whole sector drop. Whilst there is some variations between brands and cuisine type the trend is general. If you're experiencing a dip at your brand, it's most likely the case that your competitors are expericing it as well.

Never-the-less, there are several proactive measures you can take to combat the dip in delivery orders and keep orders and cash flow higher during the low season.

1. Experiment with more aggressive CPC campaigns

The drop in demand is usually matched with a drop in marketing competition on delivery apps. This means delivery app advertising can be more cost effective and promo campaigns can be more profitable.

Take a very strategic approach to marketing during this time and focus on one-off targeted campaigns with specific, narrower goals rather than always on campaign strategies.

2. Control spending levels with dynamic campaigns

In summer you should not invest the same amount as in peak season. This is because the extra spend may end up being wasted since your buying more visibility when there are less customers in the market.

Consider using dynamic campaigns that make it easy for you to scale ad spend up and down as needed. Review your previous summer sales trends and metrics, or the data above as a general guide and adjust your spend to match the amount orders you are receiving over the summer.

We usually recommend a bi-weekly time frame for scaling up and down spend over the summer.

Take advantage of Revly's powerful dynamic campaigns feature to easily execute this strategy.

3. Promote menu items tailored to the hottest months

Summer might be the time to rethink your menu and create new items tailored to the hotter months, assess whether your combos are appealing to customers during this time and rethink what is prioritized on your menu across all the delivery apps.

Bundled cold drinks like iced latte work particularly well for example. Some simple changes and menu additions can have a meaningful impact on revenue and conversion rate during the summer months.

Wrapping it up

Data shows that there is sizable dip in delivery orders in the UAE during the summer months. Across the industry this is an 18% decline in order from peak to trough.

Restaurants should be prepared for this drop and keep a close eye on costs during this period. They should also take proactive measures during the summer as there is plenty of opportunity still in the market due to lower competition.

Strategies include targeted one-off marketing campaigns to boost revenue at key moments, technology that helps with campaign budgeting and planning and updated menus specifically targeted at customer needs during the summer months.