Using Online Grocery Applications during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Their Relationship with Open Innovation

Abstract

This present research examines the behavioral intentions of Filipinos to use online grocery applications during the novel COVID-19 pandemic. The study proposes an integration of the health belief model (HBM) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) to identify the factors affecting the acceptance and usage of Filipinos of online grocery applications in terms of the impact of health risk for COVID-19. To accurately measure the factors and their relationship to behavioral intentions and usage behavior, a questionnaire was developed and distributed to 373 residents in the Philippines. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied as an analytical method for this study. The results revealed that performance expectancy, perceived benefits, perceived severity, and cues to action significantly influenced the behavioral intentions and usage of online grocery apps during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study’s findings can be utilized as a theoretical framework for future researchers of consumer behavior; e-commerce developers; and grocery industry retailers, to enhance the innovation and services of online grocery applications. The results of this study may also be used and capitalized on by investors and managers to apply in strategizing when developing and marketing online grocery applications among consumers. Moreover, the framework of this study may be adopted and utilized by other online markets, even in different counties. Further theoretical and practical aspects are discussed in this paper.