Customer decisions and satisfaction in the online food delivery market: A study of Anand city, Gujarat

Introduction

Online food ordering apps have changed how people get and enjoy their favourite foods. These platforms connect customers to food providers like restaurants, home cooks, hotels, cafeterias, and even street vendors. More people in India now have smartphones and internet access, which has made apps like Zomato and Swiggy very popular. These apps are easy to use, offer many choices, and provide a seamless user experience. Customers can now find all kinds of food in one place, from local street snacks to dishes from other countries (Expert Market Research, 2023; Statista, 2024) [2,12] . People like these apps because they have a wide selection of restaurants, offer good prices, and have convenient payment methods. This move to digital platforms has also happened because of how people live now in cities where they want to save time by ordering food online (Research and Markets, 2023) [9] . Also, online food delivery services keep getting better with options like real time tracking of orders, personalized recommendations, and attractive offers and discounts. This makes more people want to use them. The Indian online food delivery market has grown a lot and is currently valued at over $43 billion in 2024. It is expected to keep growing because of the growing disposable income of the people and increased awareness of technology (Research and Markets, 2023; Statista, 2024) [9,12] . In this context, understanding the factors that influence customer preferences and their satisfaction with these platforms hold great importance. This research is an attempt for identifying the key factors driving consumer decisions to order food online and evaluating their satisfaction with the services provided by leading food delivery platforms in Anand City, Gujarat.

Review of literature

The growing adoption of online food delivery services has been influenced by several factors that impact customer decisions and satisfaction levels. Research by Sethu and Saini (2016) [11] highlighted that time management and the ease of internet access are key drivers for students in adopting online food ordering services, reflecting the convenience of digital platforms. Similarly, Preetha and Iswarya (2019) [6] emphasised that the outreach of technology and the availability of quality customer support significantly impact user convenience, which in turn influences their decision to use these apps. Nayyar (2019) [4] also identified time-saving and easy accessibility as important factors, with discounts and reviews playing a crucial role in shaping customer choices, particularly with popular platforms like Zomato and Swiggy. Rekha and Santhi (2021) [8] corroborated these findings, noting that convenience is the primary motivator for customers when deciding to use online food delivery services. Further, Sarvaiya et al. (2021) [10] found that good service and attractive discounts were essential in influencing consumer decisions, with delivery time being a critical factor for customers when selecting a platform. In terms of customer satisfaction, studies show that service quality and food delivery efficiency are crucial determinants. Rathore and Chaudhary (2018) [7] found that factors like perception and service quality significantly impact customer satisfaction, while Beliya et al. (2019) [1] highlighted that food quality and discounts are central to customer contentment. Yusra and Agus (2019) [14] expanded on this by demonstrating that service quality directly influences not only satisfaction but also customer loyalty. Vithlani (2020) [13] compared Zomato and Swiggy, showing www.extensionjournal.com that food quality, delivery time, and customer service were pivotal in shaping satisfaction, with Zomato outperforming Swiggy in terms of overall satisfaction. Lastly, Pramila and Patel (2022) [5] affirmed that service quality and customer experience are key to customer satisfaction, with Zomato being more highly rated than Swiggy, further emphasizing the importance of maintaining high standards of service to ensure consumer loyalty and satisfaction.

Methodology

This research employs a descriptive research design to examine the factors influencing customer decisions to order food online and assess their satisfaction with online food delivery services. A non-probability convenience sampling technique was used to select 204 respondents who are regular users of online food delivery platforms, particularly Zomato and Swiggy, from Anand city, Gujarat. Primary data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. Secondary data were sourced from published articles, books, reputable journals, and relevant websites to support the research. The questionnaire was distributed online, and respondents were interviewed based on the objectives of the study. For data analysis, tabular analysis and percentage analysis were used to summarise the demographic information and present the distribution of responses. Weighted Average Mean (WAM) was employed to rank the factors influencing customer decisions and satisfaction. The majority of respondents in this study were male, accounting for 69.1% of the sample, while 30.9% of the respondents were female. This indicates a higher participation of male respondents in online food delivery services in Anand city. The data reveals that 62.7% of respondents have completed their graduation, followed by 16.7% who hold a postgraduate degree. Only a small percentage of respondents have attained primary level education (2.5%) or HSC/SSC (18.1%), indicating a relatively well-educated group of individuals engaging with online food delivery platforms. The majority of respondents have a family income between Rs. 20,000-40,000, comprising 33.3% of the sample. Additionally, 27.0% of respondents reported a family income of over Rs. 60,000, while 21.1% earn below Rs. 20,000. This indicates that online food delivery services are used across various income brackets, with a significant proportion of users coming from middle-income families. The vast majority of respondents, 97.5%, reported ordering food online, highlighting the widespread adoption of online www.extensionjournal.com food delivery services among the sampled population. Only 2.5% of respondents indicated that they do not order food online, suggesting that the convenience and accessibility of such platforms have gained significant traction in Anand city. The majority of respondents prefer using Zomato for online food delivery, with 45.1% of respondents naming it their platform of choice. This is followed by Swiggy, used by 31.9% of respondents. Other platforms such as Barbeque Nation (11.3%), McDonald's (5.9%), and KFC (3.4%) are used to a lesser extent. Non-respondents account for 2.4% of the total sample. These results suggest that Zomato holds a dominant position in the market, while Swiggy remains a strong competitor. The Weighted Average Mean (WAM) and the subsequent rankings of the factors influencing online food ordering decisions reveals that Discounts and Offers emerged as the most influential factor, with a WAM of 4.26, demonstrating that cost-saving opportunities significantly impact customer preferences. Review and Ratings, ranked second with a WAM of 4.02, underscore the importance of customer feedback in shaping online food ordering behaviour. Social Influence, with a WAM of 3.88, ranked third, indicating the considerable impact of recommendations from friends and family. Income Level ranked fourth (WAM: 3.85), reflecting its moderate role in guiding customer choices. Social Status (WAM: 3.61) and Social Media Impact (WAM: 3.57) ranked fifth and sixth, respectively, suggesting that while these factors hold some importance, they are comparatively less significant than financial considerations and trusted reviews. The results for the most preferred online food delivery platforms based on customer satisfaction reveal significant variation in satisfaction levels among the platforms. Zomato emerged as the most preferred platform, with 40.2% of respondents selecting it as their top choice for satisfaction, followed by Swiggy at 32.4%. Other platforms, including Barbeque Nation (12.3%), McDonald's (8.8%), and KFC (3.9%), received comparatively lower preferences. A small proportion of respondents (2.4%) did not specify a preference. These findings highlights the dominant position of Zomato and Swiggy in delivering customer satisfaction, highlighting their ability to meet customer expectations more effectively than their competitors. These findings underscore the importance of optimizing service speed, food quality, and issue resolution processes, with a focus on addressing customer concerns to enhance overall satisfaction.

Results and Discussion

Demographic Profile of Respondents

Factors Influencing Customer Decisions to Order Food Online

Measuring customer satisfaction levels with online food delivery providers

Conclusion

This study investigated the important factors that influence customer choice preferences and satisfaction of online food delivery platforms in the city of Anand, Gujarat. Young educated people, mostly students, were observed as the core users. Convenience, time-saving attribute, and discounts emerged as the major decision drivers; Zomato and Swiggy are the most preferred platforms. Delivery time and food quality create a huge impact on satisfaction, while issue resolution needed improvement. Moderate satisfaction was reported regarding price, product variety, and ease of payment. The findings of the study indicate a need to improve service delivery to meet changing customer expectations; sustain their growth and competitiveness in the growing online food delivery market.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

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