Consumer Behavior in Online Food Delivery Services
Summary
Consumer behaviour in online food delivery services has evolved rapidly alongside digital transformation and the proliferation of smartphone applications. Convenience remains a fundamental driver, as users prioritise time savings, easy menu navigation and swift fulfilment. Price sensitivity and value perception also shape decisions, with dynamic promotions and loyalty programmes influencing purchase timing and frequency. Meanwhile, personalisation algorithms guide choices by analysing past orders, dietary preferences and social feedback. Social influence and habit further reinforce platform use, particularly where peer recommendations and user reviews signal quality and reliability. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated adoption by heightening concerns over safety, hygiene and contactless delivery, while also exposing challenges in ensuring consistent service quality. At the same time, environmental and labour considerations have come to the fore, as consumers and regulators scrutinise packaging waste, carbon footprints and the welfare of gig-economy couriers. Cross-cultural variations in cuisine preferences, payment practices and trust norms underscore the need for tailored strategies. Together, these factors define a complex landscape in which commercial platforms, restaurants and policymakers seek to balance growth, user satisfaction and sustainable practice.
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Consumer Behavior in Online Food Delivery Services publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in consumer behavior in online food delivery services across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Online-to-offline (O2O): A business model linking digital ordering platforms to physical delivery and service fulfilment.
Theory of Consumption Values (TCV): A framework categorising the functional, social, emotional, conditional and epistemic values that influence consumer choice.
Price war strategy: A competitive approach involving successive price reductions to attract cost-sensitive customers.
Sustainability pillars: The economic, social and environmental dimensions used to assess the broader impacts of a service or product.
References
- Food delivery competition in the digital economy: Price war strategy in a developing country. Digital Business (2024).
- Review of Online Food Delivery Platforms and their Impacts on Sustainability. Sustainability (2020).
- The value proposition of food delivery apps from the perspective of theory of consumption value. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management (2021).
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