US: Local Businesses Growing With Gen D (Generation Delivery)

(HuffingtonPost) - Today's get it now society wants more than just a cool phone with instant access to news, friends and family - they want dinner served up too.

Mealtime planning has shifted with the generations. In the 1950s, TV dinners became the convenient meal while takeout gained traction in the 70s. In the 1990s, speedy delivery became popular at pizza joints while in the Internet era, online ordering started gaining traction with techies and early adopters. Today, on-demand delivery is common for busy professionals and urbanites with a couple of clicks on a web site or through the tap of an app. Delivery helps drive revenue for local businesses, such as restaurants, across the U.S. by reaching more customers in the neighborhood. This new delivery focused mindset makes up Gen D -- the delivery generation.

Industry analysts see one of the key growth drivers for the restaurant industry and other retail or service-oriented businesses is through offering delivery. According to NPD Group, food delivery is a $75 billion business and a survey from The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) found that already nearly 10 percent of online shoppers want same day delivery in their online shopping experience. BCG also found that affluent millennials are willing to pay up to $10 for same day delivery.