When Mothers Click 'Order': Unpacking the Emotional and Rational Drivers Behind Online Food Shopping in Indonesia

Abstract

Introduction: Digital transformation has redefined consumer interactions, particularly in online food delivery. During the COVID-19 pandemic, platforms like GoFood, GrabFood, and Shopee Food became essential in maintaining access to services amid mobility restrictions. In this competitive market, delivering exceptional customer experiences is crucial for retention and growth. Research shows that positive experiences drive repurchases, loyalty, and recommendations—key factors for long-term profitability. Understanding these behavioral intentions—such as app revisits, purchases, and referrals—is essential in optimizing consumer experience in digital environments.

Objectives: This study proposes an integrated framework for online food shopping experience by combining experiential marketing, transaction cost, cue utilization, service quality, and consumption value theories. It offers a holistic view of consumer experience—both rational and emotional—across the digital journey. The study examines how food app design and order fulfillment, including new elements like information and rating, driver attitude, and sensory value, influence four perceived values (sensory, economic, healthy, cultural), which in turn affect the overall experience. Finally, it analyzes how this experience drives behavioral intentions: app revisit, merchant recommendation, and driver recommendation.

Methods: This study used a quantitative explanatory design with a survey method to analyze the behavioral intentions of married millennial mothers (aged 25–40) in Jabodetabek who use GrabFood, GoFood, or Shopee Food. The model included food application design and order fulfillment as independent variables; sensory, economic, healthy, and cultural values as mediators; and online food shopping experience and three behavioral intentions (revisit app, recommend merchant, recommend driver) as dependent variables. A purposive non-probability sampling method was used due to the unknown population size. Based on power analysis and PLS-SEM guidelines, 400 responses were collected via an online questionnaire with Likert-scale items. Data were analyzed using SmartPLS 4. To assess hierarchical constructs, the disjoint two-stage approach was applied, with lower-order constructs evaluated first, followed by higher-order constructs.

Results: All hypotheses were supported. Online food shopping experience significantly predicts behavioral intentions to revisit the app, and to recommend both the merchant and the driver. Sensory, economic, healthy, and cultural values positively influence this experience, with economic and cultural values being the strongest predictors. Additionally, visual aesthetics and product variety strongly drive sensory value, though users often perceive a gap between expectations and actual experience.

Conclusions: This study offers strategic guidance for improving customer experience, emphasizing a holistic approach to service quality spanning pre-consumption, consumption, and post-consumption stages. For instance, economic and cultural values must be prioritized, as food is not merely sustenance but a reflection of cultural identity and emotional attachment.