Hungry together or socially driven? Uncovering what sparks group orders and boosts repeat purchases on food apps

Purpose This study investigates consumer motivations and behaviors related to the adoption of group order functions on mobile food delivery applications (MFDAs). Specifically, the study examines how consumers' personal values (curiosity, social interaction and extraversion) and their perceived app values (offerings, usefulness and convenience) affect their commitment to and intimacy with MFDAs, ultimately leading to app evangelism and continued use. Design/methodology/approach A covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) approach was employed to validate theoretical models and test hypotheses using a dataset of 792 survey responses. Findings The results indicates that extraversion and app usefulness significantly influence consumer commitment. In contrast, only consumers' perceived app values, particularly app usefulness and convenience, significantly enhance intimacy with the app. Both app commitment and intimacy, inturn, strongly predict app evangelism and the formation of behavioral habits. Research limitations/implications This research offers important theoretical contributions, particularly in the MFDA domain. It highlights the role of both personal and app-related values in shaping consumer behaviors. Additionally, MFDA developers and marketers can enhance engagement by targeting extroverted users. Originality/value By integrating the theory of consumption values (TCV), social exchange theory (SET), and the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) model, this study develops a research framework comprising 17 hypotheses.