From 47 million burgers to Dh4,600 grocery baskets: What people ordered online in the UAE in 2025

Dubai: If 2025 had a shopping basket, it would contain burgers, bananas, laban, fidget toys and at least one inflatable cooler. Data released by the UAE’s biggest delivery platforms offers a snapshot of what residents ordered online this year, capturing habits that range from routine essentials to last-minute impulses.

Across food, groceries and quick commerce, the numbers show how delivery has settled into everyday life.

Impulse buys, fast delivery

At noon Minutes, customers ordered everything from reindeer napkins to inflatable floating coolers. The platform said more than 25,000 Secret Santa groups were created after new features launched in December, pointing to delivery apps becoming part of social planning.

Thousands of customers also used AI-assisted shopping tools to navigate purchases. “It’s fast, it’s human, and it’s often delightfully unexpected,” noon said in a statement to Gulf News, describing how users interact with the app.

Across noon and supermall, shopping patterns leaned heavily toward personal comfort. Anti-snoring devices crossed 25,000 orders, fidget toys ran into the tens of thousands, and adult dinosaur costumes saw an unexpected surge. With supermall delivering within 60 minutes, these purchases increasingly happened on impulse rather than planning.

Comfort food dominates orders

Talabat’s data shows that familiar food remained at the centre of online ordering. More than 47 million burgers were ordered across the UAE in 2025.

The year’s most ordered food, however, was mini cheese pizza, which recorded over 1.3 million orders, the platform said in a statement to Gulf News.

Coffee orders followed a similar pattern. Iced Americano was the most ordered drink on talabat, with matcha lattes close behind.

On the grocery side, laban featured prominently. More than 620,000 orders were placed through talabat mart, keeping the traditional staple firmly in rotation.

Routine and extremes

Careem’s figures reflect both everyday demand and occasional excess. The platform delivered more than 1.6 million burgers during the year, averaging about 4,400 a day.

User behaviour varied widely. One customer placed 1,250 orders in 2025, while the largest single food order exceeded Dh1,600 for 15 brisket feasts from one restaurant.

Careem Quik’s grocery data leaned toward essentials. Bananas ranked as the most ordered item for both men and women for the third year in a row. At the same time, higher-value orders stood out. One customer ordered 10 Labubu collectibles for Dh2,400, while another placed a Dh19,800 order for 50 boxes of viral Dubai chocolate.

The largest single grocery order reached Dh4,600, and one user placed 41 separate orders in a single day.

What the basket shows

The data paints a clear picture of how residents now rely on delivery. Apps are used for routine groceries, familiar meals and occasional indulgences, often within short timeframes.

Speed is expected. Convenience is assumed. What stands out instead is consistency. Burgers, bananas and laban appear again and again, alongside impulse buys that reflect how delivery fits into daily decision-making.