A Thematic Review on Using Food Delivery Services during the Pandemic: Insights for the Post-COVID-19 Era

Yezheng Li, Pinyi Yao (), Syuhaily Osman, Norzalina Zainudin and Mohamad Fazli Sabri
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Yezheng Li: Business School, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin 541004, China
Pinyi Yao: Faculty of Human Ecology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
Syuhaily Osman: Faculty of Human Ecology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
Norzalina Zainudin: Faculty of Human Ecology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
Mohamad Fazli Sabri: Faculty of Human Ecology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 22, 1-22

Abstract: The food delivery service is the most typical and visible example of online-to-offline (O2O) commerce. More consumers are using food delivery services for various reasons during the COVID-19 pandemic, making this business model viral worldwide. In the post-pandemic era, offering food delivery services will become the new normal for restaurants. Although a growing number of publications have focused on consumer behavior in this issue, no review paper has addressed current research and industry trends. Thus, this paper aims to review the literature published from 2020 to the present (October 2022) on consumers’ use of food delivery services during the pandemic. A thematic review was conducted, with 40 articles searched from Scopus and Web of Science being included. Quantitative findings showed current research trends, and thematic analyses formed eight themes of factors influencing consumer behavior: (1) technical and utilitarian factors, (2) system-related attributes, (3) emotional and hedonic factors, (4) individual characteristics, (5) service quality, (6) risk-related factors, (7) social factors, and (8) food-related attributes. The paper also emphasizes COVID-19-related influences and suggests promising future research directions. The results offer insights into industry practices and starting points for future research.

Keywords: food delivery app; online food delivery; online-to-offline (O2O); consumer behavior; COVID-19; post-pandemic; thematic review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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