Switching up the delivery game: Understanding switching intention to retail drone delivery services

Drone delivery services have been gaining momentum in retail due to the surge in digital commerce, and retail giants are seen making significant progress in delivering parcels with minimal human intervention. However, the wider diffusion of drone delivery services requires an in-depth understanding of consumers' switching intention from traditional delivery services to drone delivery services. To address this gap, the present study aims to propose and validate an asymmetric model encompassing innovation barriers, shopping motivations, and individual differences (i.e., inertia and affinity for technology interaction) in understanding consumers' switching intention. An online survey was conducted. The data was analyzed using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The results revealed five configurations with different combinations of causal antecedents.

Automated summary

Drone delivery services are gaining popularity in retail, especially among retail giants who are making significant progress in delivering parcels using minimal human intervention. However, understanding consumers' intention to switch from traditional delivery services to drone delivery services requires a comprehensive analysis of innovation barriers, shopping motivations, and individual differences. This study conducted an online survey and analyzed the data using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), revealing five different configurations of causal antecedents.