Comparing Models with Positive Anticipated Emotions, Food Values, Attitudes and Subjective Norms as Influential Factors in Fast-Food Purchase Intention during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Two Channels: Restaurants and Mobile Apps

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to determine if positive anticipated emotions, food values, attitudes and subjective norms influence food purchase intention in two different models: a fast food restaurant and a food delivery service via mobile apps. For this study, we utilized a non-experimental, causal, descriptive and cross-sectional design. From October 2020 to January 2021, self-administered online surveys were distributed to a convenience sample of 200 fast-food consumers at restaurants, and users of food delivery services via mobile apps Puebla City, Mexico. IBM–SPSS Statistics and the SmartPLS 3 Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling were used to test our hypotheses. The results underscored a difference in attitudes between the models. The attitude toward the brand positively and significantly influenced purchase intention via mobile apps, whereas attitude toward eating a hamburger positively and significantly influenced purchase intention of visiting a fast-food restaurant. In both models, positive anticipated emotions exhibited the closest relationships with purchase intention, attitude toward the brand and attitude toward eating a hamburger, whereas food values exerted an insignificant effect on attitudes and purchase intention. Future research should consider performing a face-to-face survey with a random sample while accounting for different demographics, regions and countries, as well as including other brands, food types and restaurants.