The impact of public health policies on online food delivery services in China

Hongying Zhao and Luning Liu

Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, 2025, vol. 100, issue C

Abstract: This paper explores the impact of global COVID-19 lockdown policies on online food delivery services. Sales data from 195 Chinese cities, the impact of lockdown policies on food delivery was evaluated using a time-varying difference-in-differences approach, focusing on the effects at the start and end of the lockdown. The results indicate that lockdown policies significantly reduced the demand for online food delivery services, with sales decreasing by approximately 20.8 %. After the lockdowns were lifted, demand began to recover, but it did not return to pre-lockdown levels. The study found significant variations in the impact of lockdown policies across cities, likely due to cultural factors, pandemic severity, economic conditions and city hierarchy. This study provides an in-depth analysis of the interaction between public health policies and the online food delivery service industry, offering empirical insights for policy-making and corporate strategies during health crises.

Keywords: Public health; Online food delivery services; Policy effects; Urban differences (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:soceps:v:100:y:2025:i:c:s0038012125000928

DOI: 10.1016/j.seps.2025.102243

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