Influential Factors of Consumer Preferences for Online Takeaway Ordering

Abstract

The online food delivery service has gained immense popularity among consumers worldwide, boasting a staggering 3 billion users of food delivery apps across the globe. In this highly competitive landscape, merchants face the challenge of attracting and retaining customers. It is of paramount importance to discern the factors that influence consumer decision-making. This experimental study investigates participants’ attention preferences when navigating online takeaway apps. The research involved presenting participants with various ordering pages from online takeaway apps and recording their gaze data using an eye tracker. This gaze data reflected participants’ attention, which was further analyzed based on fixation count and fixation duration. The experimental findings revealed notable distinctions in the factors that different groups of consumers prioritize. Individuals with higher budgets showed significant interest in the ratings and sales information when making takeaway orders. Conversely, individuals with more budget constraints focused on cover images, delivery fees, and starting prices. These findings offer valuable insights into consumer behaviors when ordering takeaways through online apps. Furthermore, they provide actionable guidance for merchants aiming to optimize their positioning within takeaway apps to better cater to the preferences of their target customers.