Do digital payments enhance online food ordering? A study of zoomers and millennials in an emerging economy

Purpose Through the lens of stimulus (S)-organism (O)-response (R) model, this research explores how key factors such as delivery options (DOs), payment options (POs) and sales promotions (SPs) influence consumers' attitudes (ATT) toward the online food ordering (OFO), which subsequently affects their purchase behaviour (PB) in India. Additionally, the study analyses potential behavioural differences among consumers based on their age groups. Design/methodology/approach A structured questionnaire, created using Google Forms, was distributed via email and WhatsApp and physically to gather data from a sample of 470 Indian consumers. These data were analysed using variance-based structural equation modelling (VB-SEM) and multigroup analysis (MGA). Findings The findings reveal that DOs, POs and SPs have a significant positive impact on ATT. Additionally, ATT towards OFO is also significant. The proposed mediation effect was found statistically significant. Furthermore, results revealed that DOs, POs and SPs are the most influential predictors of PB, with ATT acting as a mediator. Research limitations/implications Theoretically, this research has advanced our understanding of the mechanism through which selected antecedents, including payment options like digital payments shape ATT and influence PB through OFO. The coverage of selected antecedents, the relatively smaller sample size of Zoomers and Millennials, and the adoption of a non-probability sampling method limit the generalizability of the findings. Originality/value This study adds to the OFO and digital payment literature by establishing the relationships between DO, PO, SP and ATT, which ultimately leads to PB through the SOR mechanism.