Online ordering and delivery of ready-to-eat foods in Ghana: a call for policy towards ensuring food safety in the service

Online food ordering and delivery service are the platforms that provide a system and service to the consumer to order and buy food products from foodservice or restaurant operators. The service is an up-and-coming trend among Millennials and the trend has ballooned with the introduction of movement control order (MCO) due to the pandemic COVID-19. The consumer’s demand towards online food ordering and delivery service has increased markedly due to the prohibition of dine-in at restaurant premises. This study focuses on highlighting the factors that influence consumer’s intention to use online food ordering and delivery service. The survey questionnaires were distributed among 384 respondents that represent the customers of restaurants in Shah Alam, Selangor. Data analyses were conducted using SPSS and multiple regression analysis. Findings revealed that usefulness, ease of use, and consumer’s enjoyment are the factors that influence consumer’s intention to use online food ordering service and conclusively, usefulness is the most significant factor that affects consumer’s intention to order food via online food ordering and delivery service. The findings from this study are beneficial for foodservice or restaurant operators in improving their businesses and staying competitive. Recommendations for future studies are included based on the findings of this study.
 Keywords: consumer intention, consumer demands, online food ordering, service, restaurant operators

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some restaurants have had to adapt their business models to include innovative online food delivery (OFD) services (Gavilan et al., 2021). Customers are becoming more accustomed to utilising apps to order meals from their cellphones (Valley et al., 2022). Food delivery services have developed as a new trend in the food and beverage business as technology has advanced in the twenty-first century. People can now order food by simply pressing a button (Aryani et al., 2022). Food delivery platform operators have developed a new technological model for food delivery services that allows customers to use a mobile app to connect with a variety of local eateries and food providers. The COVID-19 epidemic and shutdown had an impact on small eateries and businesses during and after the outbreak. The Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education has cautioned students not to leave their existing residence within 24 hours of the announcement since the first MCO. Many students were stuck in university dorms and nearby non-residential rental housing areas. As a result, students always use the online food delivery service (OFD) to save time. Food Panda, Grab Food, Lalamove, and other online food delivery services are among the options. Keywords: Bibliometric Analysis, Scopus Database, VOS Viewer, Online Food Delivery

The food delivery market in Malaysia has witnessed significant profitability, attracting various companies, including hotels, to venture into online food delivery services amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. In this context, a 3-star hotel in Pahang, Malaysia implemented food delivery services to bolster its food and beverage department’s profitability, presenting an intriguing case. This study aimed to identify the key factors influencing customer satisfaction with online food delivery (OFD) services. As a result of surveying 145 customers who utilised OFD services and employing statistical methods, namely descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis, the analysis of collected data revealed five factors influencing customer satisfaction: price, service quality, type of payment, type of promotion, and variety of food. However, only four factors significantly impacted customer satisfaction with OFD services. Notably, the type of promotion emerged as the most influential factor, followed by the variety of food, prices, and types of payment. Interestingly, service quality did not have an influence on customer satisfaction within the context of OFD services. These findings have significant implications for businesses in the OFD industry, providing valuable insights to enhance customer satisfaction and cultivate customer loyalty. This study concludes by offering recommendations to businesses and suggesting potential areas for future research in this domain.

Online food ordering and delivery service has widely served people's daily demands worldwide, e.g., it has reached a number of 34.9 million online orders per day in Q3 of 2020 in Meituan food delivery platform. For the food delivery service, accurate estimation of the driver's delivery route and time, defined as the FD-RTP task, is very significant to customer satisfaction and driver experience. In the paper, we apply deep learning to the FD-RTP task for the first time, and propose a deep network named FDNET. Different from traditional heuristic search algorithms, we predict the probability of each feasible location the driver will visit next, through mining a large amount of food delivery data. Guided by the probabilities, FDNET greatly reduces the search space in delivery route generation, and the calculation times of time prediction. As a result, various kinds of information can be fully utilized in FDNET within the limited computation time. Careful consideration of the factors having effect on the driver's behaviors and introduction of more abundant spatiotemporal information both contribute to the improvements. Offline experiments over the large-scale real-world dataset, and online A/B test demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed FDNET.

Purpose: This study examines the factors that influence customers’ choice of online food delivery services and assesses customer experience with the quality of e-services, personal characteristics of delivery staff, and perceived food quality. Design/methodology/approach: This study employed a quantitative approach and adopted an explorative research design employing a snowball sampling technique and collected the data using a questionnaire. The sample size in this study was 163. The Gretel program was used to extract questionnaire data with greater accuracy and statistical analyses like percentage analysis, mean, standard deviation, ranking, and Correlation measures were used to analyze the data. Findings: Talabat was the most popular online food delivery service in Muscat. The results of the study revealed that the three primary factors that drive customers to place online food orders are affordability, variety, and excellent cuisine. Every respondent places at least one online food order every month, and the majority place three or more orders, primarily using a mobile device. Furthermore, the professional behaviour of the delivery staff, food quality, and website design affect consumer satisfaction. However, there is a weak positive correlation between timely delivery and customer satisfaction. Most of the respondents responded that they would order food again because of their pleasant experiences. Research limitations/implications: To attract more clients, food delivery services can boost social media presence and work with influencers. Most respondents utilize food delivery services between once and three times each month. Thus, firms should implement loyalty programs to retain clients. Improving mobile app functioning should be the primary goal, given that most customers prefer to order food using their phones. Businesses should evaluate food order accuracy and prioritize effective food delivery to clients. Despite the lack of a link between customer satisfaction and delivery timing, timely delivery is critical for customer satisfaction. Social Implications: Online food delivery services serve persons with hectic schedules and mobility challenges. Many individuals who own restaurants and small entrepreneurs working from home may now access a large consumer base and greater visibility can boost their sales. These enterprises allow individuals to try the cuisine of other nations, which was previously impossible, thus broadening the culinary experiences. Originality / Value: Online food delivery companies expanded rapidly during and after the pandemic in response to rising demand. While expanding in popularity, no study of online food delivery services has been conducted in Oman. Therefore, the results of this study will immensely benefit online food delivery companies, and the people engaged in this industry. Keywords: Online Food Services, Customer Experience, Customer Satisfaction, Food Delivery Factors, Delivery Staff, Food Delivery Applications.

With emerging technologies, online food ordering and delivery services are growing at a rapid pace due to advancement in technologies and changing customer behavior. Consumer’s response to the Internet has developed opportunities for many businesses, ranging from small to large corporations in Malaysia. Online banking has given businesses opportunities to expand their online services including online food ordering and delivery services. Online food ordering meets the needs of busy individuals with a hectic and bustling lifestyle by placing their order online through their smartphones, tablets or laptops and receive delivery within a few minutes to their doorsteps. However, there is a lack of platform offering healthy food and especially for those following a specific diet. With busy schedules, most students find themselves ordering junk food online or cannot find the proper meals online according to their specific diet. This research paper proposes an online healthy food ordering and delivery system called AP∼Diet for Higher Education Institution to provide students and staffs with healthy food options according to different diets. Extreme programming methodology will be used to develop the online ordering and delivery system. The findings indicated that the proposed system is an effective initiative to promote healthy lifestyles and proper eating habits for students and staffs of Higher Education Institution using the enhanced web service.

The use of online food delivery (OFD) services has skyrocketed despite lingering concerns about food safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has impacted most business sectors, including local farms and ranches whose channels to sell through local food markets have shut down. With the demand for food delivery is increasing while the local food market at risk, we saw an opportunity to connect these two complementary businesses through “live-streaming farms.” We conducted interviews to investigate the current challenges of using OFD services, designed and evaluated the concept of live-streaming farms in OFD services to promote sustainable local food systems. Our findings indicate that offering extra food-related information through live streaming could potentially reduce primary concerns about food safety for OFD users and build local food networks. We conclude by discussing the design considerations of live-streaming farms that can improve user experience with OFD and support the local food systems.

PurposeThe growth of the internet has transformed digital infrastructure in Thailand over the past two decades, with the widespread use of e-commerce, digital money and online services becoming a daily norm for all ages. The COVID-19 restrictions, which limited in-person business operations, boosted demand for takeout and delivery services and fueled the expected steady growth of the online food delivery market in Thailand. The pandemic also resulted in a shift towards online ordering and delivery, reflecting changes in customer behavior. This study focuses on exploring the factors that have driven Bangkokians to use online food delivery services after the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in June 2022.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 398 participants who had ordered food delivery services after the announcement.FindingsThe findings showed that perceived usefulness, time saving benefit and price saving benefit have a significant impact on the intention of customers to use online food delivery services, while food safety risk perception had no effect.Practical implicationsBangkokians favor online food delivery services due to convenience and time-saving, indicating high demand post-pandemic. Businesses should invest in improving their platforms to meet evolving consumer behavior.Originality/valueThe result of this study offers valuable insights into the attitudes and behaviors of Bangkokians towards online food delivery services and could be beneficial for businesses in the industry to improve their services, enhance customer satisfaction as well as increase their competitiveness.

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the global expansion of online food delivery (OFD) services. Food delivery services are comparable to courier services in that the ordered food is delivered to customers by workers or rider delivery companies. As the number of OFD companies continues to rise, the selection of OFD companies, such as GrabFood, Foodpanda, Halo Delivery, and others, is extremely competitive. Customers must choose carefully which OFD companies offer the best services. The objectives of this research are to investigate the evaluation criteria for OFD companies, then evaluate the OFD companies based on the evaluation criteria and rank the best OFD companies that provide the best services to customers in Perlis based on certain criteria. As a result, this study proposes a solution to this problem by developing a technique from multi criteria decision making (MCDM) known as the Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP) to determine the relative importance of criteria used in ranking OFD services. This study’s findings indicate that Foodpanda is the most preferred food delivery service, followed by Grabfood and Halo Delivery. The most crucial main criteria is the economy, with discounts and offers as the priority sub-criteria. The second most important criterion is service quality, and the last is technology.

Online Food Delivery (OFD) services provide significant convenience, enabling customers to personalize their food orders and have them delivered at any time and location. Consequently, demand for OFD services increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly through the Movement Control Order (MCO) enforced by the federal government of Malaysia. Nevertheless, the convenience comes at a cost. Ordering food via delivery apps typically costs a fee ranging from RM4 to RM10, depending on the distance between the restaurant and the customer’s location. Additionally, specific platforms impose service taxes, further escalating the overall cost. Given these factors, a critical question arises: Will OFD services remain sustainable post-pandemic? Moreover, what motivates Malaysians to continue using food delivery services despite the associated high costs? Drawing on a sample of 225 Millennials, this study employs ordered logit and probit models grounded in the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) and the Expectation Confirmation Model (ECM) to investigate the factors influencing the continued use of OFD services. The findings indicate that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and habit are significant determinants of continuance intention in using these services. To maintain customer loyalty, OFD companies should prioritize reducing delivery times and ensuring user-friendly app interfaces. Additionally, fostering and reinforcing habitual use of OFD services may be crucial for sustaining their customer base in the long term.

Online Food Delivery (OFD) services transaction in Indonesia has been growing rapidly and become more popular compared to the pre-COVID-19 pandemic situation. Considering this issue, this study aims to empirically investigate consumers’ attitude and repurchase intention towards OFD services in Indonesia by employing the technology acceptance model (TAM), a theory of planned behavior (TPB), and partial adoption of the extended information technology continuance model (ITCM). The study examined the structural relationship between hedonic motivation, price saving orientation, time saving orientation, prior online purchase experience, information fit-to-task, visual appeal, convenience motivation, postusage usefulness, attitude towards OFD services, and repurchase intention towards OFD services. There were 207 questionnaires collected to test the research model using structural equation modeling (SEM). It was found that eight of the sixteen proposed hypotheses were accepted. In addition, this study discusses its practical implication, limitation, and suggestion.

Recently, the food service delivery industry started using drones for delivering food. The drone food delivery services are not only beneficial for marketers but also provide several benefits to the consumers. Despite several advantages for different stakeholders, the adoption of drone-based delivery is not encouraging. Thus, it is crucial to know why consumers show resistance behavior toward drone-based food delivery services. Toward that end, this study examines the effects of different functional and psychological barriers on consumers’ resistance to drone-based food delivery services through the lens of innovation resistance theory. A moderated-mediation framework has been proposed using anticipated negative emotions as a mediator and consumers’ innovativeness as a moderator. The hypotheses are examined by analyzing the 355 samples collected from online food delivery service users. The results suggest that usage, risk, image, and experience barriers are significantly associated with resistance. The study's findings enrich emerging drone-based delivery services and online food delivery literature. The study's findings furthermore offer practical knowledge to help online food delivery service providers implement strategies to reduce consumers' resistance to the drone food delivery system.

Purpose: This study investigates the influence of rider practices on customer satisfaction in online food delivery (OFD) services within the Accra Metropolis, Ghana. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study was conducted using a survey. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were employed to select 120 participants who frequently use OFD services. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics, focusing on the OFD-SERV dimensions: system operation, traceability, reliability, meal maintenance quality, hygiene, assurance, and security. Findings: Customers valued system operation, traceability, and meal maintenance, while assurance and security dimensions received lower satisfaction ratings. Rider politeness, neat appearance, and the use of protective gear were found to influence customer satisfaction significantly. However, issues such as food mishandling and late deliveries were identified as key concerns that negatively impacted customer experiences. Research Limitation: One major limitation encountered was difficulty obtaining the sampled respondents to whom the questionnaire was to be administered. Practical Implications: Improving rider training, especially in communication and hygiene practices, could enhance customer satisfaction and retention in the OFD industry. Social Implications: The study has the potential to help marketing managers develop strategies that enhance service quality. This would strengthen the business brand and boost overall sales, improving customer satisfaction and economic growth. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the limited literature on OFD services in Ghana by addressing service assurance and security gaps that could further strengthen customer trust and loyalty.

The surge of online food delivery (OFD) services is emblematic of the restaurant industry's presence in the e-delivery landscape. Further, this research reveals that comprehending consumer decision-making processes necessitates the appraisal of consumer behavior perception. Thus, this study aims to scrutinize the impact of hedonic motivation, convenience motivation, and post-usage usefulness on consumer interest and behavior towards OFD services, moderated by their attitudes towards using such services. To achieve this objective, a purposive sample of 150 students who have used OFD services was gathered and analyzed using a quantitative approach. Empirical data was collected via questionnaires, and a structural equation modeling (SEM-AMOS) was employed to examine the empirical model. The findings of this study suggest that hedonic motivation, convenience motivation, post-usage usefulness, and attitudes towards OFD were key determinants of OFD service behavioral intention. The swift expansion of fast food in Indonesia can be attributed to advancements in telecommunication infrastructure and internet users, lower smartphone prices, as well as the convenience and accessibility of mobile phones and the internet. This phenomenon has been capitalized on by fast food companies, who have leveraged online food delivery (OFD) services to cater to the surging demand.

The increased demand for this form of food delivery has been expected to drastically alter restaurant patrons’ dining habits. As people have been forced to stay indoors to prevent the virus from spreading, food delivery services over the internet are in high demand. As established in this study, the planned ideal is a good executive implementation for online meal delivery services. Food delivery services are rapidly growing in India, opening up several opportunities for a wide range of online food delivery (OFD) platforms while also generating a competitive commercial sector. Following that, the fuzzy technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution method (FTOPSIS) is used to rank online food delivery (OFD) enterprises based on the characteristics chosen. In this paper, we study the present multi-criteria decision-analysis (MCDA) paradigm based on the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) and the fuzzy technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (FTOPSIS) method to achieve the goal. After that, a hierarchy multiple criteria decision-analysis (MCDA) model based on fuzzy sets theory is introduced to deal with the online food delivery Service in the chain system. The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) is a fuzzy set theory technique for generating criteria weights, which are then used to interpret expert phonological evaluation statements.