Innovation in online food delivery: Learnings from COVID-19

Diana Gavilan; Adela Balderas-Cejudo; Susana Fernández-Lores; Gema Martinez-Navarro

doi:10.1016/j.ijgfs.2021.100330

Innovation in online food delivery: Learnings from COVID-19

Int J Gastron Food Sci. 2021 Jul:24:100330. doi: 10.1016/j.ijgfs.2021.100330. Epub 2021 Mar 11.

Authors

Diana Gavilan¹, Adela Balderas-Cejudo², Susana Fernández-Lores¹, Gema Martinez-Navarro³

Affiliations

¹ ESIC Business & Marketing School, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain.
² ESIC Business & Marketing School, Basque Culinary Center, Spain.
³ Department of Management & Marketing, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced some restaurants to shift their business models to innovative approaches in Online Food Delivery (OFD) services. This paper seeks to study the impact of innovations on OFD -new product/services- that aim to enhance the experiential value when ordering food online. Moreover, this paper analyses the willingness to order food delivery online during the COVID-19 pandemic. An experimental design survey was therefore used. The participants assessed one out of four OFD innovation options, its experiential value, and their own willingness to order it. Participants' fear of COVID-19 was measured and used as a moderator variable. A conditional process analysis was used to reveal that innovation in the OFD business can increase the experiential value for the consumer, but this effect should be examined in light of customers' fear of COVID-19. Managerial implications and future research lines are suggested.

Keywords: COVID-19; Experiential value; Innovation; OFD; Online food delivery; Restaurants.