Canada Sees Surge in Online Potato Sales

In celebration of National Potato Day and potato farmers across the country, Canada's largest food delivery app and the world's largest manufacturer of frozen potato products teamed up to provide consumption data.

While Canadian potato producers were met with a dramatic decline in demand during the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of restaurant and hospitality closures, SkipTheDishes saw its customers order 72% more potato products than before the pandemic. Here are some of the findings:

• Potatoes for delivery. Since the beginning of COVID-19, Skip has sold nearly 7 million pounds of potato products on its network.
• Restaurant data.One in every four orders at restaurants include a potato item.
• New Brunswick potato orders skyrocketed. While potato sales on Skip increased 72% across Canada during COVID-19, New Brunswick saw the sharpest increase, with 102% more orders containing potatoes.
• Fries are a favorite at restaurants. Across Canada, one in every six orders at a restaurant includes French Fries. In Quebec, consumers love their fries a bit more with one in every five orders including a fry. On Skip, 88% of all potato orders are fries.
• Eastern affinity. On Skip, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick have the highest percentage of orders that contain fries — but Ontario ordered the most potatoes, total.
• Breakfast food. The most popular time to order hashbrowns is 9 a.m., while fries and mashed potatoes peak at 5 p.m. for dinner.

"Across Canada, we knew changing demand as a result of COVID-19 would impact our potato farmers. We have been encouraging Canadians to eat more potato products to help our farmers through our #FrenchFriesFeedFarmers campaign. As well, food delivery platforms like SkipTheDishes have become an important part of potato sales during this time of need. This is why McCain introduced McCain SureCrisp™ fries designed to stay crisp through delivery, so consumers can enjoy famous McCain quality in a delivery fry," said Danielle Barran, president, McCain Foods Canada.

Amidst the initial lockdown measures during COVID-19, demand for Canadian-produced potatoes declined as restaurants and bars closed their doors to help flatten the curve, leaving farmers across the country with millions of pounds of surplus product.

While Canadians came together to support their local restaurants and relied upon food delivery as a tool for physical distancing, restaurants on the SkipTheDishes network provided a medium for potato sales and helped channel potatoes through the supply chain despite decreased overall demand.

With many restaurants across the country opening their doors as governments ease closure requirements, Canadians are encouraged by industry players to continue supporting local businesses and farmers .