Kenyans spending more on groceries, alcohol - Uber Eats report

Buying groceries

A new report by Uber Eats has revealed that Kenyans have expanded their vegetarianism but exhibited extravagant spending on alcohol.

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

It has been a vegan but quite tipsy year for many Kenyans, who avoided meat consumption, expanded their vegetarianism but exhibited extravagant spending on alcohol.

With more Kenyans eating vegan dishes and ordering more groceries, a new report by Uber Eats, the food delivery platform owned by Uber, reveals a 56 per cent rise in vegan restaurants on the app.

The Uber Eats Cravings Report, which provides a snapshot of the most popular delivery order requests, also shows that the number of clients ordering vegan dishes in 2021 increased by nearly half, compared to 2020.

“The pandemic accelerated the adoption of grocery delivery by several years - and we only expect it to grow,” says the report released on November 24.

“Of the more than 60 grocery stores on Uber Eats in Nairobi, Sunday afternoons were the most popular days to order delivery, with the 5-7pm time frame the most popular time to schedule orders. And one person even ordered Sh33,509 worth of groceries.”

And as Kenyans relied more on their phones and other digital gadgets to make purchases since the onset of Covid-19, Uber Eats also reveals other interesting findings on Kenyans’ consumption habits.

For instance, while many make grocery orders on Sunday evenings, their lunch-eating time on weekends remains 1pm, the time they place most orders on Sundays, “which might mean that traditional workday lunch hours are seeping into the weekend”.

Chips

“Chips have proven to be the most popular side order, with tomato sauce coming out top of the list of the most requested condiment with 4,889 requests,” the report says.

The report also exposes Kenyans’ extravagance when it comes to spending on alcohol, indicating that in 2021, the single most expensive order through the app was 18 bottles of whiskey, costing Sh145,450.

“As we expanded into alcohol delivery this year, folks across the world raised a glass. Thirsty customers in Nairobi proved to enjoy the service. The most expensive order has been KES145,450 with 18 bottles of whiskey,” the report says.

But 2021 was not all vegan dishes and alcohol, with the report also observing that when given an opportunity to specify how the food they want should be tailored and customised to their liking, many Kenyans also prefer butter chicken and butter naan.

The report is the third to be released by Uber Eats since the service was launched about three and a half years ago.

“We know that there is nothing more fulfilling than satisfying a craving, no matter how specific and unique it may be,” said Nakampe Molewa, general manager for Uber Eats Sub-Saharan Africa.

“Whether you’re ordering watermelon with yellow mustard, or sunflowers and screwdrivers straight to your door, our customers have relied on Uber Eats to get just about everything this past year.”