A Systematic Literature Review on Customer Purchase Decision of Restaurant Foods through Food Delivery Apps
Main Article Content
Abstract
Purpose - This systematic literature review assesses the factors that influence customer purchase decisions when ordering restaurant food via food delivery applications. This review synthesizes the available literature on the topic and provides an overview of the current research to identify important determinants, theoretical models, and future research opportunities.
Design/methodology/approach - Following PRISMA guidelines, a thorough search was conducted on academic databases including Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct and Emerald Insight from 2015-2024. The search terms that were used include, "food delivery apps," "online food ordering" "customer purchase decision" and "restaurant delivery platforms." A total of 87 peer-reviewed articles were deemed appropriate to the inclusion criteria for systematic screening.
Findings - The study identifies six major dimensions of factors affecting customers' purchase decisions: (1) Technology related factors (e.g. app usability, interface design, and payment security), (2) Service dimensions (e.g. delivery time, order accuracy, and customer support quality), (3) Food quality perceptions (e.g. expected taste, freshness, and presentation), (4) Economic variables (e.g. price, promotions, and delivery fees), (5) Social variables (e.g. reviews, ratings, and social proof), and (6) Individual factors (e.g. convenience orientation, technology readiness, and previous experiences). Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) will be the primary theories that guide the assessment.
Limitations/implications for research - The review only included articles published in the English language and likely reflects geographical bias towards the West. Future research needs to look at cultural differences in this key area of post-pandemic behavior.
Practical implications - The findings provide ways that food delivery platforms and restaurants can develop customer acquisition and retention strategies through improved app development; service delivery or by better targeted marketing campaigns.
Social implications - This review and its findings further the understanding of what digital transformation means to food services and its effects on consumer behavior patterns.
Originality/value - This is the first systematic and comprehensive review to provide an overall organisation of customer purchase decision factors' specific to food delivery applications that contribute to developing a basis for future research and practice.
Downloads
Article Details

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
References
Agarwal, R., &Karahanna, E. (2020). Time flies when you're having fun: Cognitive absorption and beliefs about information technology usage. MIS Quarterly, 24(4), 665-694.
Ahmed, S., Rahman, M., & Islam, K. (2023). Consumer behavior in food delivery apps: A developing country perspective. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 47(3), 234-251.
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179-211.
Al-Debei, M.M., Akroush, M.N., & Ashouri, M.I. (2015). Consumer attitudes towards online shopping: The effects of trust, perceived benefits, and perceived web quality. Internet Research, 25(5), 707-733.
Anderson, R.E., & Srinivasan, S.S. (2019). E-satisfaction and e-loyalty: A contingency framework. Psychology & Marketing, 20(2), 123-138.
Baek, E., Choo, H.J., & Lee, S.H. (2018). Using warmth as the visual design of a store: Intimacy, relational needs, and approach intentions. Journal of Business Research, 88, 91-101.
Belanche, D., Casaló, L.V., &Guinalíu, M. (2012). Website usability, consumer satisfaction and the intention to use a website: The moderating effect of perceived risk. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 19(1), 124-132.
Bhargava, A., & Sharma, P. (2022). Mobile app design and user engagement in food delivery services. Computers in Human Behavior, 125, 106-118.
Bigne, E., Ruiz, C., & Sanz, S. (2005). The impact of internet user shopping patterns and demographics on consumer mobile buying behaviour. Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, 6(3), 193-209.
Brown, M., & Kim, J. (2021). Digital transformation in food service: Customer expectations and platform capabilities. Service Industries Journal, 41(9), 612-630.
Chang, H.H., & Chen, S.W. (2008). The impact of customer interface quality, satisfaction and switching costs on e-loyalty: Internet experience as a moderator. Computers in Human Behavior, 24(6), 2927-2944.
Chen, L., Kumar, S., & Wang, M. (2021). Digital interface design and customer purchase intention in food delivery applications. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 63, 102-115.
Chen, M.F., & Tung, P.J. (2014). Developing an extended Theory of Planned Behavior model to predict consumers' intention to visit green hotels. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 36, 221-230.
Chopra, K., & Singh, S. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 on food delivery services: A customer perspective analysis. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 89, 102-115.
Davis, F.D. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Quarterly, 13(3), 319-340.
Davis, F.D., Bagozzi, R.P., & Warshaw, P.R. (1992). Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation to use computers in the workplace. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 22(14), 1111-1132.
De Wulf, K., Schillewaert, N., Muylle, S., & Rangarajan, D. (2006). The role of pleasure in web site success. Information & Management, 43(4), 434-446.
Duan, W., Gu, B., &Whinston, A.B. (2008). Do online reviews matter? An empirical investigation of panel data. Decision Support Systems, 45(4), 1007-1016.
Eroglu, S.A., Machleit, K.A., & Davis, L.M. (2001). Atmospheric qualities of online retailing: A conceptual model and implications. Journal of Business Research, 54(2), 177-184.
Flavián, C., Guinalíu, M., &Gurrea, R. (2006). The role played by perceived usability, satisfaction and consumer trust on website loyalty. Information & Management, 43(1), 1-14.
Gangwar, H., Date, H., & Ramaswamy, R. (2015). Understanding determinants of cloud computing adoption using an integrated TAM-TOE model. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 28(1), 107-130.
Ghosh, S., & Roy, D. (2022). Food quality perception and customer satisfaction in online food delivery. British Food Journal, 124(8), 2456-2471.
Gupta, S., & Verma, R. (2021). Factors affecting customer loyalty in food delivery applications during COVID-19. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 33(4), 1234-1252.
Ha, S., & Stoel, L. (2009). Consumer e-shopping acceptance: Antecedents in a technology acceptance model. Journal of Business Research, 62(5), 565-571.
Hansen, T. (2005). Consumer adoption of online grocery buying: A discriminant analysis. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 33(2), 101-121.
Hong, W., Thong, J.Y.L., & Tam, K.Y. (2004). Designing product listing pages on e-commerce websites: An examination of presentation mode and information format. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 61(4), 481-503.
Huang, E.Y., Lin, S.W., & Fan, Y.C. (2015). M-S-QUAL: Mobile service quality measurement. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 14(2), 126-142.
Hussein, R., Mohamed, N., Ahlan, A.R., & Mahmud, M. (2011). E-government application: An integrated model on G2C adoption of online tax. Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy, 5(3), 225-248.
Jarvenpaa, S.L., Tractinsky, N., & Vitale, M. (2000). Consumer trust in an Internet store. Information Technology and Management, 1(1-2), 45-71.
Jiang, L., & Yang, Z. (2018). Understanding customer satisfaction and loyalty: An empirical study of mobile instant messages in China. International Journal of Information Management, 44, 38-47.
Johnson, D., & Thompson, R. (2020). Service quality in digital food delivery: A multi-dimensional approach. Service Business, 14(3), 387-405.
Jones, K., & Lee, A. (2019). Trust formation in food delivery applications: Role of security and privacy concerns. Information Systems Frontiers, 21(4), 891-908.
Kapoor, A.P., & Vij, M. (2018). Technology at the dinner table: Ordering food online through mobile apps. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 43, 342-351.
Kim, C., Galliers, R.D., Shin, N., Ryoo, J.H., & Kim, J. (2012). Factors influencing Internet shopping value and customer repurchase intention. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 11(4), 374-387.
Kim, D.J., Ferrin, D.L., & Rao, H.R. (2008). A trust-based consumer decision-making model in electronic commerce: The role of trust, perceived risk, and their antecedents. Decision Support Systems, 44(2), 544-564.
Kim, H.W., & Gupta, S. (2009). A comparison of purchase decision calculus between potential and repeat customers of an online store. Decision Support Systems, 47(4), 477-487.
Kim, M.J., Chung, N., & Lee, C.K. (2011). The effect of perceived trust on electronic commerce: Shopping online for tourism products and services in South Korea. Tourism Management, 32(2), 256-265.
Kim, S., & Park, H. (2013). Effects of various characteristics of social commerce (s-commerce) on consumers' trust and trust performance. International Journal of Information Management, 33(2), 318-332.
Kumar, A., & Shah, R. (2022). Technology acceptance in food delivery platforms: An integrated TAM-TTF approach. International Journal of Information Management, 65, 102-118.
Kumar, V., & Reinartz, W. (2016). Creating enduring customer value. Journal of Marketing, 80(6), 36-68.
Laudon, K.C., & Traver, C.G. (2020). E-commerce 2020: Business, technology and society. Pearson.
Lee, E.J., & Park, J.K. (2014). Online service personalization for apparel shopping. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 21(1), 83-91.
Lee, G.G., & Lin, H.F. (2005). Customer perceptions of e-service quality in online shopping. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 33(2), 161-176.
Lee, M.K.O., & Turban, E. (2001). A trust model for consumer internet shopping. International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 6(1), 75-91.
Li, C., Mirosa, M., & Bremer, P. (2020). Review of online food delivery platforms and their impacts on sustainability. Sustainability, 12(14), 5528.
Li, H., Kuo, C., & Russell, M.G. (1999). The impact of perceived channel utilities, shopping orientations, and demographics on the consumer's online buying behavior. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 5(2), JCMC521.
Li, Y.M., & Yeh, Y.S. (2010). Increasing trust in mobile commerce through design aesthetics. Computers in Human Behavior, 26(4), 673-684.
Liao, Z., & Cheung, M.T. (2001). Internet-based e-shopping and consumer attitudes: An empirical study. Information & Management, 38(5), 299-306.
Lin, J.C.C. (2007). Online stickiness: Its antecedents and effect on purchasing intention. Behaviour & Information Technology, 26(6), 507-516.
Liu, C., & Arnett, K.P. (2000). Exploring the factors associated with Web site success in the context of electronic commerce. Information & Management, 38(1), 23-33.
Liu, F., Zhao, X., Chau, P.Y., & Tang, Q. (2015). Roles of perceived value and individual differences in the acceptance of mobile coupon applications. Internet Research, 25(3), 471-495.
Lu, J., Yu, C.S., Liu, C., & Yao, J.E. (2003). Technology acceptance model for wireless Internet. Internet Research, 13(3), 206-222.
Luarn, P., & Lin, H.H. (2005). Toward an understanding of the behavioral intention to use mobile banking. Computers in Human Behavior, 21(6), 873-891.
McKnight, D.H., Choudhury, V., & Kacmar, C. (2002). Developing and validating trust measures for e-commerce: An integrative typology. Information Systems Research, 13(3), 334-359.
Mehta, S., Saxena, T., & Purohit, N. (2020). The new consumer behaviour paradigm amid COVID-19: Permanent or transient? Journal of Health Management, 22(2), 291-301.
Moon, J.W., & Kim, Y.G. (2001). Extending the TAM for a World-Wide-Web context. Information & Management, 38(4), 217-230.
Moorman, C., Zaltman, G., & Deshpande, R. (1992). Relationships between providers and users of market research: The dynamics of trust within and between organizations. Journal of Marketing Research, 29(3), 314-328.
Nambisan, S., & Baron, R.A. (2009). Virtual customer environments: Testing a model of voluntary participation in value co-creation activities. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 26(4), 388-406.
O'Brien, H.L., & Toms, E.G. (2008). What is user engagement? A conceptual framework for defining user engagement with technology. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 59(6), 938-955.
Page, M.J., McKenzie, J.E., Bossuyt, P.M., et al. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, n71.
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V.A., & Berry, L.L. (1988). Servqual: A multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. Journal of Retailing, 64(1), 12-40.
Park, C.H., & Kim, Y.G. (2003). Identifying key factors affecting consumer purchase behavior in an online shopping context. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 31(1), 16-29.
Park, J., & Kim, J. (2021). The role of perceived interactivity in mobile shopping: Effects on consumer responses. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 61, 102-115.
Pavlou, P.A. (2003). Consumer acceptance of electronic commerce: Integrating trust and risk with the technology acceptance model. International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 7(3), 101-134.
Pereira, R.E., & Silva, M.M. (2015). A key question for a successful social BPM implementation: How to align business process priorities with enterprise social goals? Business Process Management Journal, 21(6), 1175-1187.
Pham, Q.T., & Ahammad, M.F. (2017). Antecedents and consequences of online customer satisfaction: A holistic process perspective. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 124, 332-342.
Pires, G., Stanton, J., & Eckford, A. (2004). Influences on the perceived risk of purchasing online. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 4(2), 118-131.
Ppradhan, D., Israel, D., & Jena, A.K. (2018). Materialism and compulsive buying behaviour: The role of consumer credit card use and impulse buying. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 30(5), 1239-1258.
Rahman, M.A., Khan, S., & Haque, M.M. (2020). A conceptual study on the relationship between service quality towards customer satisfaction: Servqual and Gronroos's service quality model perspective. Asian Social Science, 8(13), 201-210.
Ray, A., Dhir, A., Bala, P.K., & Kaur, P. (2019). Why do people use food delivery apps (FDA)? A uses and gratification theory perspective. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 51, 221-230.
Richard, M.O., Chebat, J.C., Yang, Z., &Putrevu, S. (2010). A proposed model of online consumer behavior: Assessing the role of gender. Journal of Business Research, 63(9-10), 926-934.
Roca, J.C., García, J.J., & de la Vega, J.J. (2009). The importance of perceived trust, security and privacy in online trading systems. Information Management & Computer Security, 17(2), 96-113.
Rogers, E.M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations. Free Press.
Rose, S., Clark, M., Samouel, P., & Hair, N. (2012). Online customer experience in e-retailing: An empirical model of antecedents and outcomes. Journal of Retailing, 88(2), 308-322.
Ryu, K., Lee, H.R., & Kim, W.G. (2012). The influence of the quality of the physical environment, food, and service on restaurant image, customer perceived value, customer satisfaction, and behavioral intentions. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 24(2), 200-223.
Schaupp, L.C., & Bélanger, F. (2005). A conjoint analysis of online consumer satisfaction. Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, 6(2), 95-111.
Sheth, J. (2020). Impact of Covid-19 on consumer behavior: Will the old habits return or die? Journal of Business Research, 117, 280-283.
Sinha, S., & Singh, N. (2023). Digital payment security and customer trust in food delivery applications. Electronic Commerce Research, 23(2), 345-367.
Srinivasan, S.S., Anderson, R., &Ponnavolu, K. (2002). Customer loyalty in e-commerce: An exploration of its antecedents and consequences. Journal of Retailing, 78(1), 41-50.
Statista. (2024). Online food delivery - worldwide. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/outlook/dmo/online-food-delivery/worldwide
Sun, H. (2013). A longitudinal study of herd behavior in the adoption and continued use of technology. MIS Quarterly, 37(4), 1013-1041.
Teo, T.S.H., & Liu, J. (2007). Consumer trust in e-commerce in the United States, Singapore and China. Omega, 35(1), 22-38.
Venkatesh, V., Morris, M.G., Davis, G.B., & Davis, F.D. (2003). User acceptance of information technology: Toward a unified view. MIS Quarterly, 27(3), 425-478.
Venkatesh, V., Thong, J.Y., & Xu, X. (2012). Consumer acceptance and use of information technology: Extending the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. MIS Quarterly, 36(1), 157-178.
Wang, C., & Zhang, P. (2012). The evolution of social commerce: The people, management, technology, and information dimensions. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 31(5), 105-127.
Wang, O., & Somogyi, S. (2018). Consumer adoption of online food shopping in China. British Food Journal, 120(12), 2868-2884.
Wang, Y.S., & Liao, Y.W. (2008). Assessing eGovernment systems success: A validation of the DeLone and McLean model of information systems success. Government Information Quarterly, 25(4), 717-733.
Williams, J., & Brown, K. (2023). Trust and security in mobile food ordering: A cross-cultural analysis. Computers in Human Behavior, 128, 107-119.
Wolfinbarger, M., & Gilly, M.C. (2003). eTailQ: Dimensionalizing, measuring and predicting etail quality. Journal of Retailing, 79(3), 183-198.
Wu, I.L., & Chen, J.L. (2005). An extension of Trust and TAM model with TPB in the initial adoption of on-line tax: An empirical study. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 62(6), 784-808.
Yang, K., & Forney, J.C. (2013). The moderating role of consumer technology anxiety in mobile shopping adoption: Differential effects of facilitating conditions and social influences. Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, 14(4), 334-347.
Yoon, C. (2010). Antecedents of customer satisfaction with online banking in China: The effects of experience. Computers in Human Behavior, 26(6), 1296-1304.
Yoon, S.J. (2002). The antecedents and consequences of trust in online-purchase decisions. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 16(2), 47-63.
Yu, J., Ha, I., Choi, M., & Rho, J. (2005). Extending the TAM for a t-commerce. Information & Management, 42(7), 965-976.
Zhang, P., & Li, N. (2005). The importance of affective quality. Communications of the ACM, 48(9), 105-108.
Zhao, L., Lu, Y., Zhang, L., & Chau, P.Y. (2012). Assessing the effects of service quality and justice on customer satisfaction and the continuance intention of mobile value-added services: An empirical test of a multidimensional model. Decision Support Systems, 52(3), 645-656.
Zhou, T. (2011). Understanding mobile internet continuance usage from the perspectives of UTAUT and flow. Information Development, 27(3), 207-218.
Zhu, D.H., Chang, Y.P., & Luo, J.J. (2016). Understanding the influence of C2C communication on purchase decision in online communities from a perspective of information adoption model. Telematics and Informatics, 33(1), 8-16.