On-demand food delivery: investigating the economic performances

Purpose This paper focusses on on-demand food delivery (ODFD), i.e. the delivery of freshly prepared meals to customers' homes, enabled by the use of online platforms. In ODFD, a key process is represented by last-mile deliveries (LMDs): they directly affect customers (the delivery price influences their purchase intention), riders (the compensation drives their willingness to perform deliveries) and platforms (deliveries are very expensive). In this context, this work aims to investigate the economic performances of ODFD LMDs. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts a multi-method threefold process. First, it develops a model that - after the generation of customers' demand and the assignment of deliveries to available riders - identifies incomes and costs faced by an ODFD operator. Second, the model is applied to a base case in Milan (Italy). Third, sensitivity analyses are performed (on daily demand and riders' salary). Findings The analyses allow - besides the identification of significant values associated to ODFD profitability - to draw general insights about delivery price (e.g. free delivery is not economically sustainable), daily demand (e.g. greater demand values do not only improve positive results but also worsen negative ones) and fixed/variable wage mix (e.g. increasing the variable wage enhances the profitability for platforms). Originality/value On the academic side, this word enhances extant literature about ODFD, proposing a model - with multidisciplinary implications - to strategically investigate profitability conditions of LMDs. On the managerial side, it provides support for (logistics/marketing) ODFD practitioners since it allows to evaluate the potential impact of significant decisions on profitability.

Automated summary

This study focuses on the economic performance of on-demand food delivery (ODFD) last-mile deliveries (LMDs), using a multi-method approach to analyze the impact of delivery price, daily demand, and wage mix on profitability. The findings provide insights into the sustainability of delivery pricing, the effects of demand fluctuations on profits, and the benefits of adjusting wages for platforms.