According to a survey about permitting e-commerce platforms to sell and deliver all goods after the relaxation of the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown on Indians in April 2020, a majority of respondents were in favor. In contrast, about 18 percent wanted the e-commerce sites for essentials supplies only.

India implemented a lockdown for 21 days, announced on March 24, 2020. This lockdown was the largest in the world, restricting 1.3 billion people, extended until May 17, 2020. During the lockdown, e-commerce platforms could deliver just essential supplies.

For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Fact and Figures page.

Online orders and deliveries in Italy increased significantly due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and the resulting lockdown. As the graph shows, during January and February, when the lockdown was not put in place yet, the increase in e-commerce deliveries was rather limited. In the following months, however, deliveries grew dramatically. April 2020 registered an increase of ***** percent compared to the same month of the previous year. In May 2020, after the restrictions were eased, the growth was not as impressive as in April, but e-commerce deliveries still rose by **** percent compared to May 2019.

As per the results of a survey on Indian food delivery apps conducted by Rakuten Insight in August 2021, about ** percent of the female respondents stated that they would continue to order food online even after the coronavirus pandemic because it was convenient. A similar percentage of male respondents stated the same when asked this question.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a permanent shift towards online shopping. While restrictions have eased, consumers have kept the online shopping habits they formed in lockdown.

Online Food Delivery Services Market Outlook

According to our latest research, the global online food delivery services market size reached USD 221.5 billion in 2024, driven by the rapid proliferation of internet connectivity, smartphone penetration, and evolving consumer lifestyles. The market is expected to expand at a robust CAGR of 10.8% from 2025 to 2033, projecting a value of USD 561.4 billion by 2033. The market’s impressive growth is primarily fueled by the convenience of digital ordering, increasing urbanization, and the integration of advanced technologies into food delivery platforms.

One of the most significant growth factors for the online food delivery services market is the increasing consumer demand for convenience and time-saving solutions. Modern urban lifestyles, characterized by hectic work schedules and limited time for meal preparation, have led to a surge in the adoption of online food delivery platforms. These platforms offer a wide variety of cuisines and restaurants at the fingertips of consumers, catering to diverse preferences and dietary needs. The rise of dual-income households and the growing millennial and Gen Z population, who are more tech-savvy and inclined toward digital solutions, further bolster the demand for online food delivery services. Additionally, the integration of real-time tracking, personalized recommendations, and loyalty programs enhances the overall user experience, making online ordering more appealing and habitual.

Another pivotal driver for the market’s expansion is the technological advancements within the food delivery ecosystem. The adoption of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics enables platforms to optimize delivery routes, predict consumer behavior, and streamline operations for both restaurants and logistics providers. Contactless delivery options, digital wallets, and seamless payment gateways have become industry standards, ensuring safety and convenience for users. Furthermore, the proliferation of cloud kitchens—kitchens focused solely on fulfilling online orders—has enabled restaurants to scale operations with lower overhead costs, thereby expanding the variety and reach of food offerings. These innovations are not only improving operational efficiency but are also fostering greater customer loyalty and higher order frequencies.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also played a transformative role in accelerating the adoption of online food delivery services. Lockdown measures and social distancing norms prompted a dramatic shift from dine-in to online ordering, with many first-time users becoming regular customers. Restaurants, both large chains and small independents, have increasingly partnered with delivery platforms to sustain their businesses and reach new customer segments. This paradigm shift has led to the emergence of hybrid business models, including virtual restaurants and subscription-based meal services. The post-pandemic era continues to witness sustained demand for online food delivery, as consumers have grown accustomed to the convenience and safety of digital ordering, further cementing the market’s long-term growth trajectory.

From a regional perspective, Asia Pacific stands out as the dominant force in the online food delivery services market, owing to its massive population base, rapid urbanization, and high smartphone penetration. China and India, in particular, are experiencing exponential growth, driven by a young, digitally connected demographic and a burgeoning middle class. North America follows closely, with the United States leading the charge due to its mature e-commerce infrastructure and a culture that embraces digital convenience. Europe is also witnessing significant growth, propelled by increasing internet usage and changing dining habits. Meanwhile, Latin America and the Middle East & Africa are emerging as promising markets, supported by improving digital infrastructure and rising disposable incomes. Each region presents unique opportunities and challenges, shaping the global competitive landscape of online food delivery services.

In France, people over 50 years before the containment were more oriented towards online non-food purchases and a little towards online food purchases, according to the source. Since the start of lockdown in 2020, their consumption habits have changed slightly: the proportion of online food purchases has increased, in particular thanks to the discovery of the drive and home meal deliveries. However, the majority of French people aged over ** still do not order food online and even ** percent stated that they stopped ordering online for non-food products during the confinement.

A few days prior to the UK government's lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak, consumers were already beginning to use delivery services more frequently to order takeaway food and drinks. According to the snap poll on March 18, 2020, 60 percent of 18-24 year olds surveyed had already increased the frequency they use delivery services. The 35 to 54 year old age group had the biggest likelihood to increase frequency, with 40 percent saying they would do so.

Latin America Online Grocery Delivery Market size was valued at USD 16.30 Billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 32.50 Billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 8.8% from 2026 to 2032.Key Market Drivers● Rapid Digital Transformation and Smartphone Penetration: Digital transformation across Latin America has accelerated significantly, with smartphone adoption serving as a primary catalyst for online grocery shopping growth. According to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), smartphone penetration in Latin America reached 72% by 2022, up from 66% in 2020, creating a fertile environment for mobile-first grocery applications.Changing Consumer Behavior Post-Pandemic: The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally altered shopping habits across Latin America, with safety concerns and lockdown measures driving massive adoption of online grocery delivery services. These behavior changes have largely persisted beyond the acute phases of the pandemic. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) documented that 46% of Latin American consumers who began using online grocery services during the pandemic continued using them regularly in 2022, even after restrictions were lifted.

The Covid-19 pandemic has created challenges and caused disruption across the Higher Education sector; university campuses closed, and face-to-face teaching and assessment shifted to an online format. Learning from our students’ experience during this period will help us shape future hybrid delivery so that it best fits Bioscience students. This pedagogical study explored Aston University’s Bioscience students’ experiences of studying from home, and the impact of the lockdown on mental wellbeing and quality of life. 151 students completed an online survey during August 2020, which included open and closed questions. Analysis of survey data revealed that a majority of students reported positive experiences of online open-book assessments and most would welcome this format in the future. The majority of students faced no technical issues, predominantly stating that they also had good internet connectivity. Shifting to remote learning and online classrooms uncovered conflicting preferences; despite wanting more interactive lectures, only half of the students were comfortable interacting using video cameras. Free text responses provided an insight into how some students reported an inadequate home working space/environment and lacked necessary items such as a desk, highlighting how remote working may intensify social and digital inequality - particularly for students from more deprived households. Wider detrimental experiences of lockdown included dissatisfaction with access to healthcare, decreased concentration, sleeping difficulties and a decline in mental wellbeing. Education strategies going forward will need to address the mental health needs of students who have suffered during the pandemic. Our university, amongst others, is embracing hybrid course delivery, which could offer a solution to ensuring Bioscience students receive hands-on laboratory experience and face-to-face contact to remain motivated and benefit from the on-campus facilities and support, whilst allowing students some of the flexibility afforded by remote study. In the current competitive higher education market where student retention is key, it is important to consider student demographics and digital equity to ensure an appropriate approach is applied to cater for all students.

As per the results of a survey on Indian food delivery apps conducted by Rakuten Insight in April 2023, about ** percent of the respondents stated that they would continue to order food online even after the open and social distancing measures were lifted. By contrast, just above ** percent would discontinue ordering food online after lockdown across India.

Smoking is a leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality globally. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Smoking Cessation (SC) services faced many challenges, including lockdown and social distancing restrictions. Consequently, SC services had to adapt to the challenges in different ways or halt delivery. This research evaluated the impact of COVID-19 on the delivery and outcomes of SC services. This was achieved by comparing service delivery and outcomes pre-COVID-19 and during the pandemic and drawing insights for the delivery of SC services post-pandemic. Secondary analysis was performed on the data of 11,533 participants who attended the One Life Suffolk (OLS) SC services pre- and during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 4923 and 6610 participants attended SC services pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19 respectively. Fifty-four percent of participants achieved quit status at week-4 while attending the SC services during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared with 46% pre-COVID-19, (X2(1) = 38.2, p-value

During the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, there was a noticeable shift towards digital transformation and increased reliance on ICT-based business solutions. This phenomenon was observed in all economic sectors on a global scale when the lockdown measures were imposed by governments worldwide to halt the spread of COVID-19. Considering this, the reliance of many South African restaurants on third-party delivery platforms like Mr. D, Bolt Food and Uber Eats increased and became imperative to ensure the sustainability of their economic activity, especially considering the closure of numerous restaurants that lacked the necessary digital capacity. Owing to the digital capacity of these food delivery platforms, they facilitated seamless communication between restaurants and customers by providing online ordering systems (OOSs) and food delivery services (FDSs) for restaurant businesses. The collaboration of restaurants with third-party digital platforms had a profound impact on the restaurant industry during the pandemic. Although online ordering systems (OOSs) are becoming more common among restaurants to enhance operational efficiency, the long-term impacts of outsourcing online ordering systems to third-party service providers on the financial, operational and strategic performance of small and independent restaurants remain underexplored. Hence, the main objective of the study was to investigate the influence of online ordering systems and to determine the extent to which restaurants owners/managers are dependent on third-party delivery platforms for (OOS) and (FDS) in a COVID-19 free society. In addition, the study sought to ensure the continued implementation of these systems in restaurants through the exploration of risk management issues associated with the use of third-party online ordering systems. To achieve this task, quantitative research approach was adopted. A total of 133 questionnaires were distributed to restaurant owners/managers operating within the Cape Peninsula and 124 were returned. Four of the returned questionnaires were excluded due to incomplete information, which resulted in an overall response rate of 90%. Non- probability sampling techniques were employed to draw a sample of restaurants that were conveniently reachable. As the response was calculated at the above rate, data from 120 restaurants in Cape Town were analysed, specifically targeting restaurants in the suburbs rather than townships owing to security concerns and the limited presence of restaurants in township areas.

During and after the coronavirus lockdown in France in 2020, people were asked about their shopping preferences. When buying groceries, ** percent of the representative population stated making food purchases directly from the store, against ** percent who collected them by drive (car collection point). After the confinement, people were increasingly prone to shop in-store, while the drive, home delivery or pedestrian collection point preferences did not change significantly.

BackgroundTo curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, the Chinese government shut down Wuhan city from January 23rd to April 8th, 2020. The COVID-19 epidemic not only leads to widespread illness but also affects the diagnosis and treatment of hematopoietic stem-cell transplant (HSCT) recipients.ObjectiveTo investigate the medical-seeking pattern and daily behavior changes in Hubei Province during the COVID-19 epidemic in Hubei Province during the lockdown.MethodsWe conducted a multicenter, cross-sectional, web-based investigation among 325 HSCT recipients by online questionnaires in Hubei Province during the COVID-19 epidemic.ResultsA total of 145 complete responses were collected both before and during the epidemic questionnaires. The participants from pre-epidemic group preferred to go to hospital (68.29%) when they experienced influenza-like symptoms. The majority of the patients elected to take oral drugs by themselves (40%) or consulted their attending physicians online or by telephone during the lockdown (23.33%). 64.83% had difficulties in purchasing drugs during the lockdown, which was significantly higher than the proportion of the pre-epidemic group (24.83%) (P < 0.05). The participants preferred to purchase drugs online (23.40%) and decrease or withdraw drugs (18.09%) during the epidemic. The number of participants received regular re-examinations during the epidemic decreased sharply. The proportion of wearing masks and isolating themselves at home increased significantly during the epidemic. No statistic difference was observed in the incidence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)complications in participants between the during the epidemic group and the pre-epidemic group. In our study, six patients were confirmed to have COVID-19, and half of them died due to COVID-19-related complications.ConclusionThe medical-seeking pattern and daily behavior of HSCT recipients changed during the lockdown; the methods of self-protection, online consultation and drug delivery can help patients receive necessary follow-up and reduce the occurrence of COVID-19.

Four week quit status and LTF pre- and during COVID-19.

This database includes the raw data linked with the paper “Maternal and infant NR3C1 and SLC6A4 epigenetic signatures of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown: When timing matters” published on Translational Psychiatry, doi: 10.1038/s41398-022-02160-0. This publication is part of the longitudinal and multi-centric “Measuring the outcomes of maternal COVID-19-related prenatal exposure (MOM-COPE)” research project. In this paper, we report data on NR3C1 and SLC6A4 methylation status in Italian mothers and infants who were exposed to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown during different trimesters of pregnancy.

Procedures: 283 mother-infant dyads were enrolled at delivery. Within 24 hours from delivery, buccal cells were collected to assess NR3C1 (44 CpG sites) and SLC6A4 (13 CpG sites) methylation status. Mothers self-reported on depressive symptoms and anxiety by replying to an online adapted version of the well-validated Beck Depression Inventory and State-Trait Anxiety questionnaires, respectively.

Analytical plan: Principal component (PC) analyses were used to reduce methylation data dimension to one PC per maternal and infant gene methylation. Mother-infant dyads were split into three groups based on the pregnancy trimester during which they were exposed to the COVID-19 lockdown. To assess the presence of significant differences in maternal and infant methylation of SLC6A4 and NR3C1 genes by pregnancy trimester of exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, four separate one-way ANOVAs were carried out with Trimester (levels: third, second, first) as the between-subject variable and each of the methylation PCs.

Findings in brief: Mothers and infants who were exposed to the lockdown during the first trimester of pregnancy had lower NR3C1 and SLC6A4 methylation when compared to counterparts exposed during the second or third trimesters. The effect remained significant after controlling for confounders.

The online shopping activity as well as the online catalogue of many brands has expanded during the COVID-19 induced lockdown in France, in 2020. Because of the numerous physical shops that had to close due to sanitary measures, young people (** percent) could benefit from free online deliveries, and especially free online content or on TV (** percent). Generally, as most of the young people from the sample had to connect to online study programs, ** percent could benefit from distance learning platforms for exam preparations. Looking at the available platforms, for young pupils, the school platfrom itself was the most mentioned (** percent).

Four-week quit rate differences by IMD and period.

Modalities provided before and during lockdown by respondents’ DBT teams.

The COVID-19 induced lockdown in France has boosted the e-commerce in a drastic way as consumers purchased more products online and made fewer trips to physical stores. Marketers have predicted that consumer behavior will likely not result in a pre-pandemic buying behavior. Thus, in April 2020, ** percent of internet users in France aged 16 to 64 said they expected to visit physical stores less frequently post-pandemic, and ** percent planned to spend less time in-store. Some ** percent of respondents said they would adopt click and collect (Drive), and ** percent would shop more online for home delivery.

Second "light" lockdown and the effects on Black Friday sales

The holy Black Friday dedicated to the madness of shopping will take place in France on Friday, November 27, 2020. Even if for deconfinement, all the retail brands had adopted the measures necessary for a return to a secure store, it seems that an important fringe of the population will shun these physical places. And with a second, "lighter" lockdown, marketers have asked themselves how the physical shopping sales loss will impact Black Friday or other sales seasons such as the French Days, as a significant revenue source for retail and the shopping economy in general.

Online presence for retailers

With a need for a plan to save physical stores, the development of online businesses has increased and so has the consumer adoption. While groceries are majoritarity carried out using Drive technologies and home delivery, the fashion retail sector has taken a toll for physical brands, which cannot be said to that extent about pure players such as Vinted.fr. But, as the sales for Black Friday had increased by *** percent compared to it's previous shopping weeks in 2019, the sales season and the French days awaited shopping peaks have only increased by a small amount compared to previous weeks of online shopping in 2020. Thus, for the fashion retail sector, which is one of the most sought after sector after high-tech products, virtual purchases are a hope for sellers to support the survival of their businesses.