Unpacking Customer Satisfaction in Chengdu's Booming Food Delivery Scene: What Drives Success in the App Economy?
Keywords:
Information Quality, Food Quality, Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction, Customer LoyaltyAbstract
Purpose: This study aims to explore the key factors that significantly impact user satisfaction with Meituan's food delivery platform in Chengdu, China. Research design, data, and methodology: By integrating relevant theories and literature, a conceptual framework of variables such as information quality, price/value, safety, food quality, service quality, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty was constructed to reveal the causal relationship between them. A quantitative method (n=500) was used to conduct a questionnaire survey on Meituan users in five districts of Chengdu. The sample was selected using a multi-stage sampling method, including judgment, stratified random, and convenience sampling. The data were analyzed by structural equation modeling (SEM) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), including model fitting, reliability, and validity tests. Results: The results showed that information quality significantly impacted price value, safety on customer satisfaction, food quality on customer satisfaction, service quality on customer satisfaction, and customer satisfaction on customer loyalty. Conclusions: The findings revealed that information quality significantly enhances price value, while safety, food quality, and service quality positively affect customer satisfaction. Furthermore, customer satisfaction has a significant positive effect on customer loyalty. However, the effects of price value and information quality on customer satisfaction were found to be insignificant.
References
Akbar, M. M., & Parvez, N. (2009). Impact of service quality, trust, and customer satisfaction on customers' loyalty. ABAC Journal, 29(1), 24-38.
Al-Mamary, Y. H., & Shamsuddin, A. (2015). Testing of the technology acceptance model in context of Yemen. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 6(4), 429-444.
Andaleeb, S. S., & Conway, C. (2006). Customer satisfaction in the restaurant industry: An examination of the transaction-specific model. Journal of Service Marketing, 20(1), 3-11.
https://doi.org/10.1108/08876040610646536
Andrew, J. V., Ambad, S. N. A., & Tan, K. E. (2019). A model of factors influencing consumers’ intention to use e-wallet system in Malaysia: A systematic review. Malaysian Journal of Business and Economics, 6(2), 53-62. https://doi.org/10.51200/mjbe.v0i0.2172
Awang, Z. (2012). Research methodology for business and social sciences (1st ed.). Universiti Teknologi MARA Press.
Baek, M. Y., & Han, S. L. (2007). Retailer’s service quality on customer value, customer satisfaction, and word-of-mouth intention. Journal of Korean Service Management Society, 8, 79-103.
Bao, Z., & Zhu, Y. (2022). Why customers have the intention to reuse food delivery apps: Evidence from China. British Food Journal, 124(1), 179-196. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-03-2021-0205
Bentler, P. M. (1990). Comparative fit indexes in structural models. Psychological Bulletin, 107(2), 238-246. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.107.2.238
Bishop, W. R., Jr. (1984). Competitive intelligence. Progressive Grocer, 63, 19-20.
Bodet, G. (2008). Customer satisfaction and loyalty in service: Two concepts, four constructs, several relationships. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 15(3), 156-162.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2007.11.004
Cai, S. (2009). The importance of customer focus for organizational performance: A study of Chinese companies. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 26(4), 369-379. https://doi.org/10.1108/02656710910950351
Campanella, F., Serino, L., & Crisci, A. (2023). Governing fintech for sustainable development: Evidence from Italian banking system. Qualitative Research in Financial Markets, 15(4), 557-571. https://doi.org/10.1108/qrfm-01-2022-0009
Chai, L. T., & Yat, D. N. C. (2019). Online food delivery services: Making food delivery the new normal. Journal of Marketing Advances and Practices, 1, 62-77.
Chang, J., Garcia, J., Xie, X., Moretti, N., & Parlikad, A. (2022). Explaining underlying causes for the degradation of handover information for commercial building owners. Springer International Publishing.
Chen, Y. S. (2013). Towards green loyalty: Driving from green perceived value, green satisfaction, and green trust. Sustainable Development, 21(5), 294-308. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.500
Cheng, X., Gan, C., Imran, M., & Zhang, W. (2021). Impact of perceived convenience, service quality, and security on consumers’ behavioral intention towards online food delivery services: The role of attitude as a mediator. SN Business & Economics, 1(1), 1-20.
Chopdar, P. K., Korfiatis, N., Sivakumar, V. J., & Lytras, M. D. (2018). Mobile shopping apps adoption and perceived risks: A cross-country perspective utilizing the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. Computers in Human Behavior, 86, 109-128.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.04.017
Closs, D. J., Goldsby, T. J., & Clinton, S. R. (1997). Information technology influences on world-class logistics capability. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 27(1), 4-17. https://doi.org/10.1108/09600039710162259
Cronin, J. J., Brady, M. K., & Hult, G. T. (2000). Assessing the effects of quality, value, and customer satisfaction on consumer behavioral intentions in service environments. Journal of Retailing, 76(2), 193-218. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-4359(00)00028-2
Fargnoli, V., Nehme, M., Guessous, I., & Burton-Jeangros, C. (2021). Acceptability of COVID-19 certificates: A qualitative study in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2020. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 682365. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.682365
Fornell, C. (1992). A national customer satisfaction barometer: The Swedish experience. Journal of Marketing, 56(1), 6-21. https://doi.org/10.2307/1252129
Fornell, C. G., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39-50.
https://doi.org/10.1177/002224378101800104
González, M. E. A., Comesaña, L. R., & Brea, J. A. F. (2007). Assessing tourist behavioral intentions through perceived service quality and customer satisfaction. Journal of Business Research, 60(2), 153-160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2006.10.014
Greenspoon, P. J., & Saklofske, D. H. (1998). Confirmatory factor analysis of the multidimensional students' life satisfaction scale. Personality and Individual Differences, 25(5), 965-971. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(98)00115-9
Grönroos, C. (1984). A service quality model and its marketing implications. European Journal of Marketing, 18(4), 36-44. https://doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000004784
Hair, J. F., Anderson, R. E., Tatham, R. L., & Black, W. C. (1998). Multivariate data analysis (5th ed.). Prentice-Hall.
Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2010). Multivariate data analysis (7th ed.). Prentice Hall.
Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., Anderson, R. E., & Tatham, R. L. (2006). Multivariate data analysis. Pearson International Edition.
Hill, N., & Alexander, J. (2017). The handbook of customer satisfaction and loyalty measurement. Routledge.
Howard, J. A., & Seth, J. N. (1969). The theory of buyer behavior. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Hult, G. T. M., Sharma, P. N., Morgeson, F. V., & Zhang, Y. (2019). Antecedents and consequences of customer satisfaction: Do they differ across online and offline purchases?. Journal of Retailing, 95(1), 10-23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2018.10.003
Johns, N., & Howard, A. (1998). Customer expectations versus perceptions of service performance in the foodservice industry. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 9(3), 248-265. https://doi.org/10.1108/09564239810223556
Kapoor, A. P., & Vij, M. (2018). Technology at the dinner table: Ordering food online through mobile apps. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 43, 342-351. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2018.04.001
Kim, W. G., Ng, C. Y. N., & Kim, Y. S. (2009). Influence of institutional dineserv on customer satisfaction, return intention, and word-of-mouth. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 28(1), 10-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2008.03.005
Kivela, J., Inbakaran, R., & Reece, J. (1999). Consumer research in the restaurant environment, Part 1: A conceptual model of dining satisfaction and return patronage. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 11(5), 205-222.
https://doi.org/10.1108/09596119910272739
Koay, K. Y., Cheah, J. H., Teoh, A. P., Tan, G. W. H., & Aw, E. C. X. (2022). A model of online food delivery service quality, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty: A combination of PLS-SEM and NCA approaches. British Food Journal, 124(12), 4516-4532.
Law, A. K. Y., Hui, Y. V., & Zhao, X. (2004). Modeling repurchases frequency and customer satisfaction for fast food outlets. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 21(5), 545-563. https://doi.org/10.1108/02656710410536563
Lee, E.-Y., Lee, S.-B., & Jeon, Y. J. J. (2017). Factors influencing the behavioral intention to use food delivery apps. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 45(9), 1461-1473. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.6185
Lee, Y. J. (2000). Generalized research on customer satisfaction. Korean Society of Consumer Studies, 11, 139-166.
Lee, Y. O., & Kim, M. S. (2008). The effect of logistics service quality on customer satisfaction and repurchase intention: Focusing on company size as a moderator. Journal of International Logistics and Trade, 6(1), 55-73. https://doi.org/10.24006/jilt.2008.6.1.55
Mattsson, S. A. (2002). Logistik i försörjningskedjor (1st ed.). Studentlitteratur.
Monferrer, D., Moliner, M. A., & Estrada, M. (2019). Increasing customer loyalty through customer engagement in the retail banking industry. Spanish Journal of Marketing - ESIC, 23(3), 461-484. https://doi.org/10.1108/sjme-07-2019-0042
Monroe, K. B. (1973). Buyers’ subjective perception of price. Journal of Marketing Research, 10(1), 70-80. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224377301000110
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1994). Reassessment of expectations as a comparison standard in measuring service quality: Implications for future research. Journal of Marketing, 58(1), 111-124. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224299405800109
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Malhotra, A. (2005). ES-QUAL: A multiple-item scale for assessing electronic service quality. Journal of Service Research, 7(3), 213-233.
Pedraja, M., & Yagüe, M. J. (2002). The components of total perceived price: An empirical analysis in restaurant services. Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 5(1), 1-22.
Pedroso, R., Zanetello, L., Guimaraes, L., Pettenon, M., Goncalves, V., Scherer, J., Kessler, F., & Pechansky, F. (2016). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the crack use relapse scale (CURS). Archives of Clinical Psychiatry, 43(3), 37-40. https://doi.org/10.1590/0101-60830000000081
Pringle, M., Wilson, T., & Grol, R. (2002). Measuring ‘goodness is in individuals and healthcare systems. British Medical Journal, 325(7366), 704-707.https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.325.7366.704
Qin, H., Prybutok, V. R., & Zhao, Q. (2009). Perceived service quality in fast-food restaurants: Empirical evidence from China. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 27(4), 424-437. https://doi.org/10.1108/02656711011035129
Sawyer, A. G., & Dickson, P. (1984). Psychological perspectives on consumer response to sales promotion. In Research on Sales Promotion: Collected Papers (pp. 1-21). Marketing Science Institute.
Sharma, R., Cooper, A. B., & Hilborn, R. (2005). A quantitative framework for the analysis of habitat and hatchery practices on Pacific salmon. Ecological Modelling, 183(2), 231-250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2004.07.025
Shroff, A., Shah, B. J., & Gajjar, H. (2022). Online food delivery research: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 34(8), 2852-2883. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijchm-10-2021-1273
Sica, C., & Ghisi, M. (2007). The Italian versions of the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Beck Depression Inventory-II: Psychometric properties and discriminant power. In M. A. Lange (Ed.), Leading-edge psychological tests and testing research (pp. 27-50). Nova.
Smith, A., Hughes, J., & Wang, Y. (2019). The effect of stress on semantic memory retrieval: A multiverse analysis. Collabra: Psychology, 5(1), 12345.
Suhartanto, D., Helmi Ali, M., Tan, K. H., Sjahroeddin, F., & Kusdibyo, L. (2019). Loyalty toward online food delivery service: The role of e-service quality and food quality. Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 22(1), 81-97. https://doi.org/10.1080/15378020.2018.1546076
Szymanski, D. M., & Menard, D. H. (2001). Customer satisfaction: A meta-analysis of the empirical evidence. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 29(1), 16-35.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0092070301291002
Valdez, E. S., Valdez, L., Korchmaros, J., Garcia, D. O., Stevens, S., Sabo, S., & Carvajal, S. (2021). Socioenvironmental risk factors for adolescent marijuana use in a United States-Mexico border community. American Journal of Health Promotion, 35(1), 20-27. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890117120927527
Wang, Y. S., Tseng, T. H., Wang, W. T., Shih, Y. W., & Chan, P. Y. (2019). Developing and validating a mobile catering app success model. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 77, 19-30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2018.06.002
Wong, A., & Sohal, A. S. (2006). Understanding the quality of relationships in consumer services: A study in a retail environment. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 23(2/3), 244-264. https://doi.org/10.1108/02656710610648215
Wu, J. H., & Wang, Y. M. (2006). Measuring KMS success: A respecification of the DeLone and McLean’s model. Information and Management, 43(6), 728-739. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2006.05.002
Zeithaml, V. A. (1988). Consumer perceptions of price, quality, and value: A means-end model and synthesis of evidence. Journal of Marketing, 52(3), 2-22. https://doi.org/10.2307/1251446
Zhao, Y., & Bacao, F. (2020). What factors determine customer continuingly using food delivery apps during 2019 novel coronavirus pandemic period?. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 91, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102683
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Yingxue Zhang

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The submitting author warrants that the submission is original and that she/he is the author of the submission together with the named co-authors; to the extend the submission incorporates text passages, figures, data, or other material from the work of others, the submitting author has obtained any necessary permission.
Articles in this journal are published under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY What does this mean?). This is to get more legal certainty about what readers can do with published articles, and thus a wider dissemination and archiving, which in turn makes publishing with this journal more valuable for you, the authors.

