A behavioral study of food delivery service by drones: Insights from urban and rural consumers

This study aims to analyze the current state and scope of drone food delivery services, exploring the factors that influence the intention to use and how these vary between urban and rural consumers. By utilizing the Goal-Directed Behavior Model and Social Cognitive Theory, the adoption of this emerging technology in different geographical contexts is examined, thereby providing a detailed understanding of its practical and theoretical implications. To meet the objectives, a company specializing in market analysis was contracted. A total of 302 valid responses were collected. The results confirm the importance of knowledge, intrinsic motivation, and Attitude as antecedents of intention, but discarding willingness to pay more. In addition, the existing differences between users living in rural and urban areas were verified, highlighting the greater importance that users in rural areas confer to the relationships proposed in the general model. The results obtained in the present study serve to expand and improve scientific literature on the analysis of the antecedents of the adoption of food delivery service by drone and the definition of strategies by stakeholders.