Understanding the Shift in Food Purchasing Behavior After the COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights from Mobile Food Ordering Applications

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly influenced consumer behavior, especially in food purchasing habits, which has shifted towards online transactions via Mobile Food Ordering Applications (MFOAs). This study explores how the pandemic-induced behavioral shift affects the utilization of MFOAs, examining four key factors: time savings, money savings, convenience, and privacy concerns, and their influence on user satisfaction and behavior. A comprehensive survey was conducted among MFOA users in Indonesia. Data were analyzed using SPSS and SmartPLS to test hypotheses related to the impact of the four factors on user satisfaction and behavior. Results indicated that time savings, money savings, convenience, and privacy concerns positively impact user satisfaction. Additionally, time savings, money savings, and convenience positively influence user behavior, while privacy concerns did not have a significant effect. User satisfaction was found to be a key driver of user behavior, emphasizing the importance of meeting user needs and expectations. The findings offer important managerial implications for MFOA development in Indonesia post-COVID. To ensure customer satisfaction and success in the market, MFOAs should prioritize providing value through time and money savings, convenience, and robust privacy measures. Developers should focus on user comfort and trust in the app, particularly regarding privacy and data security. This study is limited to the context of Indonesia and may not be fully generalizable to other developing countries. Future research could expand on this work by comparing user behavior across different generations and cultural backgrounds for a broader perspective on MFOA usage dynamics.