Impacts of fairness concerns on online food delivery service supply chain

Abstract In the online food delivery industry, fairness concerns are always a key factor influencing the performance of restaurants and online food delivery platforms. This study focuses on a two‐tier online food delivery service supply chain, where the restaurant provides food and catering services, and the platform offers food delivery services. The study explores four different scenarios: when neither the restaurant nor the platform is concerned about fairness, when only the restaurant is concerned when only the platform is concerned, and when both players are concerned about fairness. By analyzing these scenarios, the optimal strategies of supply chain members are derived. The research findings indicate that the restaurant's fairness concerns negatively affect food quality and catering services, while the platform's fairness concerns negatively affect big data marketing and food delivery services. Furthermore, the study reveals that the platform's fairness concerns not only decrease its own utility but also weaken the utility of its partners.