Drone Food Delivery: A Solution to Crowding During the Global COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the retail landscape and introduced new risks for customers. Customers, in turn, are increasingly turning toward technology to reduce pandemic-associated risks. This study investigates the impact of crowding at food retail outlets on customers’ willingness to utilize drone food delivery. Data were collected using an online survey and analyzed using covariance-based structural equation modeling. The results confirm that crowding is positively associated with social withdrawal tendency and mortality threat. Perceived vulnerability and perceived severity act as moderators to strengthen the positive association of crowding with mortality threat and social withdrawal tendency. Social withdrawal tendency and mortality threat, in turn, are positively associated with customers' attitudes toward drone delivery. A positive attitude toward drone delivery positively impacts customer willingness to utilize drone delivery, while a negative attitude has a negative impact. This study provides novel insights into technology adoption driven by crowding as an environmental factor during a global pandemic. It also offers evidence that technology adoption is driven by threat perceptions. Our findings have important implications for retailers, who can consider drone food delivery as a possible solution to reduce customers' threat perception.