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Consumer adoption of digital grocery shopping: what is the impact of consumer’s prior-to-use knowledge?

Alireza Zolfaghari (Lang School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada)
Kimberly Thomas-Francois (Faculty of Adventure, Culinary Arts and Tourism, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, Canada)
Simon Somogyi (Lang School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada)

British Food Journal

ISSN: 0007-070X

Article publication date: 25 August 2022

Issue publication date: 21 March 2023

664

Abstract

Purpose

Smart retail technology adoption models are largely focused on consumer perceptions of the technology and the characteristics of digital technologies. However, the impact of the prior-to-use knowledge of consumers on the adoption of the technologies has been understudied. This research examined to what extent social acceptance and consumer learning can facilitate consumer adoption of digital grocery shopping (DGS).

Design/methodology/approach

This paper builds on the innovation–decision model to develop a framework to examine the impact of social acceptance and consumer learning on DGS. The research tested a structural model based on data collected from 611 North American participants.

Findings

This study found that the social acceptance of DGS directly and consumer learning indirectly affects the appeal of grocery shopping to consumers and consequently increases their intention to adopt this new shopping method. Furthermore, the results indicated that both hypothesised directions are parallelly mediated by digital convenience, the consumer’s digital readiness and digital trust.

Originality/value

This study extends the understanding of consumer adoption of DGS by highlighting the influence of consumer knowledge about DGS on their behavioural intention. Several important theoretical and practical implications are provided to help retail managers to develop service strategies.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the funding provided by Social Sciences and Humanity Research Council (SSHRC) Award No. 430-2020-00191 for making it possible for us to conduct this important and potentially impactful research.

Citation

Zolfaghari, A., Thomas-Francois, K. and Somogyi, S. (2023), "Consumer adoption of digital grocery shopping: what is the impact of consumer’s prior-to-use knowledge?", British Food Journal, Vol. 125 No. 4, pp. 1355-1373. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-02-2022-0187

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited

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