According to Business Insider, DoorDash just topped Morning Consult’s list of the fastest-growing brands of 2025 based on their “purchasing consideration” metric. The delivery service saw the biggest increase in consumer intent to use their platform between Q1 and Q3 of this year. Surprisingly, baby boomers—particularly those born between 1955 and 1964—showed the largest jump in intention to order through DoorDash. The company’s revenue surged 24% during the first nine months of 2025, and their stock has climbed 20% this year. Meanwhile, younger generations are actually cutting back on delivery spending as they face financial pressures and a tougher job market.
Why boomers are embracing delivery
Here’s the thing—this isn’t about millennials ordering burritos or Gen Z getting late-night snacks. We’re talking about people in their sixties and seventies discovering food delivery for the first time. According to Morning Consult’s analysis, these boomers are turning to DoorDash for practical reasons: mobility challenges, not wanting to cook while living alone, or simply maintaining independence. Bobby Blanchard from Morning Consult nailed it when he said DoorDash “might help them maintain that sense of independence.” And let’s be honest—when you’re in your later years, carrying groceries up stairs or dealing with crowded stores becomes less appealing. Delivery suddenly makes a lot of sense.
The generational spending split
This creates a fascinating economic story. While younger adults are cutting back because they’re “strapped for cash” according to lead economist Kayla Bruun, boomers have disposable income. They can afford those delivery fees and restaurant markups that make younger people wince. Think about it—many boomers own homes outright, have retirement savings, and aren’t facing the same job market pressures. Meanwhile, Gen Z is dealing with dried-up entry-level positions and minimal savings. So we’ve got this perfect storm where the people who can afford delivery are finally discovering it, while the people who’ve been using it for years are being forced to pull back.
Where delivery is heading
The broader trend here is that demand for delivery remains surprisingly strong even as consumers cut spending elsewhere. Retailers from Walmart to Amazon to Dollar General are actually speeding up grocery delivery times because the demand justifies it. DoorDash’s growth among boomers suggests the delivery market still has plenty of room to expand into new demographics. Basically, we might be seeing the normalization of delivery as a standard service rather than a luxury. It’s becoming like having electricity or internet—something people expect to have available regardless of age or income level.
What this means for the future
So where does this leave us? DoorDash is effectively trading one customer base for another—losing some younger users but gaining older ones who might actually be more valuable long-term. The boomer adoption could signal a permanent shift in how seniors approach daily tasks. And let’s not forget the grocery delivery angle—this isn’t just about restaurant food. As people age, getting heavy groceries delivered becomes increasingly appealing. The question is whether DoorDash can maintain this momentum when the initial “new user” surge from boomers levels off. But for now, they’ve stumbled into an unexpected growth engine that’s helping them defy the broader consumer spending slowdown.
