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This study examined the determinants of word of mouth, using the dual-factor theory in the context of food delivery apps (FDA) during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, which has created unique challenges and opportunities for the hospitality industry. We proposed and tested an integrated model by examining both enablers (i.e., trust, perceived benefit, quality control) and inhibitors (i.e., advertisement overload, perceived threat, quality issues) of FDA usage as antecedents of positive word of mouth (PWOM) and negative word of mouth (NWOM). Our results revealed that trust and perceived benefit drive PWOM, while advertisement overload and quality issues lead to NWOM. We also found some counterintuitive and unique results;for instance, perceived benefit leads to NWOM, the perceived threat does not result in NWOM, and quality control does not necessarily result in PWOM. Through these findings, we provide empirical evidence and recommend managerial interventions to help restaurant owners and FDAs navigate crises like the ongoing pandemic.
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Introduction: Food delivery applications (FDAs) have altered the way customers order and consume food. This was compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, which imposed restrictions on people's mobility. In this study, the authors have tried to determine which barriers affect consumers' emotions and feelings, leading to satisfaction, repeat visit, and WOM recommendations. Method: ology: The Innovation Resistance Theory has been used to conduct the study. The Mixed Model is also framed to address the barriers faced by FDA users. This study also identifies key barriers of FDA (Value Barrier, Image Barrier, and Environment Barrier) and also studies their effect on consumer emotions and feelings in addition to the impact on repeat purchase behaviour, customer satisfaction and word of mouth recommendation. The data is collected from 392 respondents. Findings: The findings demonstrate that apart from the value barrier, all the other barriers have negative and significant impacts on consumers' feelings and emotions. It further supports the mediation effect amongst consumer feelings and emotions, satisfaction, repeat purchase, and WOM recommended. The moderating effect of transaction cost has been shown with different associations. Implications: The service providers should make sure that all transactions are safe and secure and that food is delivered on time. They should also have good ways for customers to get in touch with them, so they will get orders from them. Originality: The focus of the study is on the link between satisfaction, repeat purchases, and word-of-mouth recommendations for FDA, which hasn't been looked into in any previous studies. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd
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The food delivery apps (FDAs) have facilitated the connection between food service providers and consumers, enabling online ordering through smartphones and offline delivery in Vietnam. The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the food and beverage industry, accelerating the process of digital transformation and promoting sustainability through online-to-offline service. The usage of FDAs amongst consumers has exhibited a discernible escalation, primarily attributable to its ability to expedite the delivery of food in a hassle-free and convenient manner. Given the ongoing pandemic and the swift increase in demand for online food ordering services, particularly among the younger demographic, it has become imperative to comprehend the drivers that impel consumers to adopt these applications. This article aims to present a dataset pertaining to the decision-making factors that university students in Danang, Vietnam, take into account when they use FDAs and express positive feedback about them on the internet. The survey was conducted between September 2022 and January 2023 and gathered 346 usable responses. The results provide novel perspectives on the adoption of FDAs by university students, which is an emerging technology in the food and beverage sector. This dataset could be useful to various stakeholders, such as service providers, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and vendors operating on these platforms, as it can help them acquire valuable insights into their customers' preferences and behavior. In addition, the dataset can serve as a basis for conducting comparative research in different universities or countries.
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Purpose: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the pervasiveness of food delivery apps (FDAs) and the increased scholars' attention for the topic of FDA continuance usage intention. However, the limited understanding about possible segments of FDA users has hindered food retailers from providing FDAs with a personalized manner, which impairs the effectiveness of marketing strategies. Thus, this study aims to first explore key antecedents of users' continuance intention toward FDAs and then segment and profile Taiwanese users based on the identified antecedents of FDA continuance intention and demographics. Design/methodology/approach: An online survey was implemented to collect responses from FDA users in Taiwan. With a response rate of 82.4%, the final sample of 326 respondents (average age = 28.3;female = 54.9%) was analyzed by using two techniques of structural equation modeling (SEM) and cluster analysis. Findings: The results indicate six antecedents of users' continuance usage intention towards FDAs, including information quality, system quality, information quality, perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment and satisfaction. Additionally, three distinct clusters of FDA users are successfully identified, labeled as "value sensitive users”, "time-sensitive users” and "security sensitive users”. Originality/value: This study is one of the pioneers that explores the possible segments in FDA market, which helps FDA providers and food retailers develop more focused and appropriate strategies to encourage users to continue using FDAs. Our findings contribute to building an optimized version of "FDA Tech” that becomes an omni-channel solution to serve the increased home-delivery needs in the new normal era. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.
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PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the phenomenon of online food purchasing in Italy and, specifically, Italian consumers' future intentions to use these services even after the end of the COVID-19 emergency. To this purpose, to understand if these phenomena are robust enough to represent irreversible and well-established trends, in the present study, consumers' Behavioural Intention was investigated.Design/methodology/approachA theoretical framework based on a preliminary literature analysis on the use of delivery services was developed. Then, an online survey was carried out in Italy during 2021. The data were then elaborated through an exploratory factor analysis (EFA), followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Following the verification of constructs reliability, a structural equation modelling (SEM) using the statistical tools, SPSS and R (Lavaan) was performed.FindingsThe results suggest that Behavioural Intention is influenced by items such as convenience, variety of food and time savings. Moreover, the relevant role of social networks and interpersonal relationships in influencing consumers' purchasing intentions has highlighted the importance of focussing on advertising campaigns and good "word of mouth."Originality/valueThe present research represents the first attempt to investigate the food delivery and ghost kitchens' phenomena, recently accepted thanks to the delivery applications use in Italy, a Country with strong gastronomic tradition and with an important digital gap. In this scenario, the research focused on the attention on the consumers' future intentions to use these services even after the end of the COVID-19 emergency.
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The objective of this research is to explore the determinants impacting the Indian consumers' continuance intention (CI) to use food delivery apps (FDA) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study develops a conceptual framework which integrates technology acceptance model (TAM) and expectation confirmation model (ECM), with fear of coronavirus (FOC) and health anxiety (HA). The survey responses of 598 FDA users during the COVID-19 pandemic period in India were examined using PLS-SEM approach. The findings reveal that FOC is the most significant determinant, and HA, satisfaction (SAT), perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), and confirmation (CON) have significant impact (directly/indirectly) on users' CI to use FDAs at the time of coronavirus pandemic. The new normal, which includes social distancing, self-protection, etc., has created new buying habits. The policymakers, start-ups, etc. can gain considerable insights from this research.
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This study proposed a novel model to investigate influential factors affecting the intention to continue using increasingly popular food delivery apps (FDAs). The proposed theoretical model is developed and validated to extend traditional technology acceptance and adoption theories by identifying several determinant factors that capture the unique context of FDAs continuous usage. Hypotheses were tested using a partial least square structural equation modeling approach (PLS-SEM) on data collected from 331 actual FDAs users during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results reveal that convenience, perceived compatibility, delivery experience, and online reviews significantly influence the continuous usage of FDAs. The findings also confirm the importance of continuous intention on the actual use of FDAs. The research model of this study explains 65% of variance in continuous intention and 47% in actual use. The insights provided by this study suggest fruitful directions for future research. They can also help FDAs companies, developers and marketers with strategies and tips for further development and growth by ensuring users' continuous usage of these platforms. © 2022. All Rights Reserved.
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Purpose>The aim of this study was to find out the factors that influenced customers' continuance usage intention of food delivery apps (FDAs) during COVID-19 quarantine.Design/methodology/approach>The information was obtained by applying an online survey to a sample of 295 residents in Tijuana, Mexico, who were repeat customers of the FDAs during COVID-19 quarantine. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), the average variance explained (AVE) and composite reliability (CR) were conducted to ensure the validity of each construct. Multiple regression analysis was done to identify predictors of customers' continuance usage intention.Findings>Based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT-2), four constructs were included: effort expectancy, performance expectancy, food and beverage quality and price saving orientation. Multiple linear regressions were carried out to assess the relationship between the four dimensions and customers' continuance usage intention of FDAs. The results obtained show that effort expectancy, performance expectancy and price saving orientation influenced the customers' continuous usage behavior.Originality/value>This study contributes to the body of knowledge on consumer behavior on the continuance usage intention of FDAs during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been scarcely studied. Also, the food and beverage quality construct was proposed, and the price value construct from the UTAUT-2 theory was adapted to price saving orientation.
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Purpose>This study explores and compares the reasons for or against including situational triggers on the adoption of food delivery apps (FDAs) across lesser-researched Asian countries like India and the Philippines.Design/methodology/approach>The study utilises a qualitative research methodology using focus group discussions and interviews across each country.Findings>Respondents from India highlighted the importance of convenience, aggressive discounts, app service quality, fulfilment and multiple payment options as the key reasons for adopting the FDAs. However, these factors require redressal in the Philippines context. Also, the study findings highlight some country-specific requirements: in the Philippines, food packaging, cheaper options provided by the local convenience stores and lack of variety of food options;in India, the impact of parental beliefs and segregated vegetarian food delivery.Practical implications>The study makes practical suggestions for consumer behaviour researchers, developers and marketers of FDAs who are confronted with challenges in app development for a multi-cultural audience and to ensure growth and the adoption of the FDAs across the two countries.Originality/value>This is one of the first studies to compare diverse national markets to uncover differences and similarities in the factors impacting the adoption of FDAs. The results highlight the impact of varying levels of evolution of FDAs and social, technological and cultural contextual differences on the adoption of the FDAs across India and the Philippines.
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PurposeFood delivery apps (FDA) have been widely adopted by customers in online-to-offline (O2O) catering businesses. This study aims to explore the mechanism regarding the stickiness of FDA and indicates why customers have the intention to reuse them.Design/methodology/approachA research model was developed based on the e-commerce system successful model (ECSS model) and social influence theory. Using the data collected from 312 customers who have FDA usage experience via an online survey, the established model was empirically assessed by partial least squares based structural equation model.FindingsThe results show that factors including information quality, ease of use, convenience and various choices perceived by FDA users are significant antecedents of customer satisfaction and perceived value, which in turn positively influence customers' intention to reuse. Besides, informational social influence and normative social influence play important roles in directly or indirectly affecting customers' intention to reuse.Originality/valueThis study extends the e-commerce system success model and enriches the literature regarding stickiness of FDA. Besides, the understanding of social influence in FDA usage has been deepened by addressing its role in the ECSS model based on the features and contexts of such apps.
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The sudden escalation of the COVID-19 pandemic contributes to Chinese young people's online food shopping behavior changes. Because of the government decree restricting going out and further outbreaks of COVID-19, young people select e-shopping, which offers contactless payments and delivery, to avoid risks. Furthermore, young people prefer to purchase food such as snacks or raw materials online to get rid of boredom. With the occurrence of COVID- 19, this chapter aims to explore Chinese young customers' online food shopping behavior, including types of products, the quantity of products, frequency of purchases by using food delivery apps during this time. Considering Information Quality, Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), and UTAUT 2, eight main variables, including information quality, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation, price value, and habit, are used to indicate customers' continuous intention of applying takeaway delivery apps as mediums. Based on the 203 survey results, the Chinese young people's online food shopping behavior using food delivery apps has been examined. The findings provide practical cases for the e-commerce and catering industry to predict or prepare emergency plans. It can primarily reduce the reaction time and can have a specific prevention ability to solve force majeure, such as coronavirus diseases. This research can help to reduce the loss of the e- commerce and catering industry, especially food retailers, by understanding customers' online purchasing behavior during epidemic diseases. © Peter Lang GmbH Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften Berlin 2021. All rights reserved.