A pizza ordered after a busy day. A poke bowl during a study session. Dinner with friends organized in just a few clicks.
Food delivery has become a regular part of life for many Italians. Convenient, fast, and increasingly accessible, it has changed the way we buy meals and groceries. But this convenience comes at a price that we often tend to underestimate.
A market that keeps growing
According to data from the Politecnico di Milano and Netcomm B2c eCommerce Observatory, Italy’s online Food & Grocery market, which includes the Food Delivery, Online Grocery, and Food & Beverage segments, grew by 5% in 2026 compared with 2025 and is now worth €5.1 billion.
The Food Delivery segment, in particular, continues to expand (+7% compared with 2025) and now accounts for 47% of the online food market. Convenience is the main driver of this growth: a wide choice, ease of purchasing, and fast delivery are among the reasons most frequently cited by consumers.
The hidden cost of convenience
When we order through an app, we often look only at the price of the meal. In reality, the final cost includes several different charges:
- delivery fees;
- service fees;
- possible surcharges during peak hours;
- menu prices that are sometimes higher than those charged at the restaurant itself.
Taken individually, these costs seem modest. Over time, however, they can make a significant difference.
For example, a delivery fee that adds €4 to the final bill may seem insignificant. Yet, ordering twice a week means spending more than €400 a year solely to have food delivered to your home.
The real cost is not the delivery fee: it is the frequency
The most interesting issue concerns our habits.
Many people no longer use food delivery only for special occasions, but as a regular solution for lunches, dinners, and even grocery shopping. Its ease of use reduces our perception of spending: it only takes a few clicks, and digital payments make the expense feel less tangible than paying in cash.
This phenomenon is well known in behavioral economics: when payment is quick and almost invisible, we tend to spend more easily and pay less attention to the overall cost.
Food delivery or home cooking?
Of course, the comparison cannot be reduced to a simple question of price.
Preparing a meal at home requires time, organization, and planning. Food delivery, on the other hand, derives its value precisely from allowing us to “buy time”, a resource that is especially valuable for students, workers, and families.
The real question is therefore not whether food delivery is right or wrong, but whether the benefit it provides justifies the cost.
For an occasional dinner with friends, the answer is probably yes. If it becomes part of your daily routine, however, its impact on your budget can become significant.
A trend that is changing the way we consume
According to the Just Eat Observatory, food delivery is no longer seen simply as an emergency service or an occasional convenience. More and more people use it to explore new cuisines, try different restaurants, and incorporate grocery delivery into their everyday routines.
This shift has transformed food delivery into a genuine consumption category. Consumers are no longer paying only for the food itself, but also for the service, the speed, and the convenience.
How to use food delivery without inflating your budget
The solution is not to eliminate home delivery altogether, but to use it more consciously.
Some useful strategies include:
- setting a monthly budget for food delivery;
- comparing the final cost with the cost of preparing the same meal at home;
- taking advantage of promotions and loyalty programs only when they offer genuine savings;
- avoiding impulsive orders driven by tiredness or boredom;
- planning some meals in advance to reduce reliance on delivery apps.
Food delivery is one of the innovations that has changed our consumption habits the most in recent years. But, as with many forms of convenience, its true cost is not measured by a single order, but by how frequently we use it.
Being a conscious consumer also means understanding when we are paying for a genuine need and when we are simply paying for a habit that may be costing us far more than we realize.
To learn more about these topics and plan a more conscious approach to managing your resources, take part in the in-person and online activities of the Museum of Saving, browse our blog, and explore the many publications available on our website www.museodelrisparmio.it.
17 June 2026