What will make Generation Y and Generation Z to continue to use online food delivery services: a uses and gratifications theory perspective

ABSTRACT

The rapid growth of online food delivery (OFD) services presents new opportunities and challenges for OFD stakeholders, emphasizing the strategic importance of retaining customers. However, the existing OFD continuance literature lacks diverse theoretical approaches and customer segment-specific knowledge, limiting a comprehensive understanding of post-pandemic customer behavior. This study leverages the uses and gratifications (U&G) theory to delve into customers’ expectations and motivations for continuing to use OFD, with a particular focus on the possible differences between Generation Y and Generation Z customers. By applying a mixed-method approach, the results identified six gratifications of OFD continuance usage, classified into three groups: utilitarian, hedonic, and social gratifications. Generation Y and Z assign varying levels of importance to the identified gratifications. The study enriches the current OFD literature by demonstrating the explanatory prowess of U&G theory to the continuance phenomenon and provides practical suggestions for OFD stakeholders to cultivate competitiveness and sustainable growth.

摘要

在线食品配送服务的快速增长为食品配送利益相关者带来了新的机遇和挑战, 强调了留住客户的战略重要性. 然而, 现有的OFD持续性文献缺乏多样的理论方法和特定于客户细分市场的知识, 限制了对疫情后客户行为的全面理解. 本研究利用使用和满足 (U&G) 理论深入研究客户继续使用OFD的期望和动机, 特别关注Y世代和Z世代客户之间可能存在的差异. 通过应用混合方法, 结果确定了OFD持续使用的六种满意度, 分为三组: 功利性满意度、享乐性满意度和社会满意度. Y世代和Z世代对所确定的满足感具有不同程度的重要性. 该研究通过展示U&G理论对持续现象的解释能力, 丰富了当前的对外直接投资文献, 并为对外直接投资利益相关者培养竞争力和可持续增长提供了实践建议.

KEYWORDS:

• Online food delivery service
• uses and gratifications theory
• generation
• continuance
• mixed-method approach

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Submission declaration and verification

This manuscript has not been published previously and is currently not considered for publication elsewhere.

Data availability statement

The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to assured participant confidentiality.