Treat yourself: Food delivery apps and the interplay between justification for use and food well-being

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between justification for use and well-being in respect to mobile food delivery apps (FDA). Adopting an interpretivist qualitative approach, the study offers contributions to the FDA and food well-being literature by uncovering four groups of licensing effects that consumers use in justifying FDA use. Those licensing effects can have either positive or negative influence on consumers' well-being depending on the degree to which consumers engage in self-regulation, awareness, and conscious managing of their relationship with food. The study also unravels the importance of dealing with the tensions between FDA use and well-being by shedding light on feelings of guilt and financial anxiety related to FDA use.