Predicting consumers’ intention to use OFD services during COVID-19 health emergency in the USA and the UK: an application of the S-O-R model

The aim of this study is to test a model in which utilitarian and hedonic attitudes predict behavioural reactions with respect to OFD services, using theoretical advances related to S-O-R framework. To test the proposed model, an online survey was conducted on a sample of the US residents (315) and on a sample of UK residents (202) during the period March–May 2020. The proposed model was tested with structural equation modelling. Risk perception of COVID-19 contagion positively influences utilitarian attitude, and it is not significantly related to the affective internal state of the individual (hedonic attitude). The study validates a comprehensive conceptual model that explains the intention to use OFD services during the health emergency. The paper provides guidance for supporting food companies in deciding the most appropriate ways to reduce the perceived risk associated with the use of the home delivery services and to increase the perceived ease of use.