Convenience vs Community: Understanding the Drivers Behind Student Preference for Online Food Delivery over Campus Dining

Ainul Mohsein Abdul Mohsin; Rudresh Pandey; Nuraliah Izzaty Mohd Shahrizal; Nur Safiyah Afiqah Abdul Rahim; Nurfatinah Husna Abdul Rohim; Nurin Rafissah Mohd Raffe; Daisy Mui Hung Kee

doi:10.32535/jcda.v9i3.5059

Convenience vs Community: Understanding the Drivers Behind Student Preference for Online Food Delivery over Campus Dining

Ainul Mohsein Abdul Mohsin, Rudresh Pandey, Nuraliah Izzaty Mohd Shahrizal, Nur Safiyah Afiqah Abdul Rahim, Nurfatinah Husna Abdul Rohim, Nurin Rafissah Mohd Raffe, Daisy Mui Hung Kee

Abstract

This research investigates the critical factors driving university students to choose third-party Online Food Delivery (OFD) applications over traditional physical campus dining facilities. Utilizing a quantitative, cross-sectional research design, empirical data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to a sample of 120 undergraduate students at Universiti Sains Malaysia. The multiple regression results revealed a unique behavioral phenomenon in which variety of choices emerged as the sole statistically significant predictor of students’ venue preferences, yielding a standardized coefficient (?) of 0.285 and a significant p-value of 0.047, while perceived ease of use, social influence, and service quality were not statistically significant. In conclusion, these findings demonstrate that the extensive culinary variety and broad range of choices offered by digital aggregators act as the primary structural pull factor drawing students away from institutional dining facilities. Based on these findings, it is suggested that campus food operators prioritize digital modernization, strategic culinary diversification, and flexible menu rotations to effectively mitigate student migration and remain competitive with external delivery platforms.

Keywords

Campus Dining; Consumer Behaviour; Digital Aggregators; Online Food Delivery; Social Influence; Student Preference; Variety of Choices

Full Text:

PDF

References

Effendi, A. A., Hui, G. K., Azmira, I. C. K., Humaira, I. M. S., Ming, I. L. X., Xuan, J. W. J., …, & Kee, D. M. H. (2025). The impact of delivery, menu variety, pricing, promotion, and food quality on customer satisfaction: Mediated by perceived value. International Journal of Accounting & Finance in Asia Pasific, 8(1), 1–xx. https://doi.org/10.32535/ijafap.v8i1.3834

Fikry, A., Abdul, A. J., Sibghatullah, A., Muhammad, N. S., & Harun, Z. F. (2024). From click to cuisine: Navigating the landscape of customer satisfaction in online food delivery apps. Information Management and Business Review, 16(3[I]S), 579–588. https://doi.org/10.22610/imbr.v16i3(I)S.4085

Gan, K. H., Lim, S. H., Aronkar, P., Lim, W. S., Lin, X., Hashim, M. B. M., Saadon, M. D. B., Akmalia, D. S. N., Dewanti, R. A., Putri, R. S. S., Bajpayee, V., & Kee, D. M. H. (2024). Investigating the relationship between key factors and customer satisfaction in an online shopping platform. Journal of the Community Development in Asia, 7(2), 280–293.

Grab. (2021, January 12). MCO 2021 #1: Grab services uninterrupted, will continue to serve our community. Grab. Grab Press Centre – MCO 2021 #1

Homburg, C., & Wielgos, D. M. (2022). The value relevance of digital marketing capabilities to firm performance. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 50(4), 666-688. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-022-00858-7

He, Z., Han, G., Cheng, T. C. E., Fan, B., & Dong, J. (2019). Evolutionary food quality and location strategies for restaurants in competitive online-to-offline food ordering and delivery markets: An agent-based approach. International Journal of Production Economics, 215, 61-72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2018.05.008

Jalis, M. H., Che Deraman, N. S., Ayub, A. N., Hazlan, N. A., & Abdul Latib, N. F. Y. (2023). Influential factors of utilising the online food delivery (OFD) service among students at Dungun Campus, UiTM Terengganu Branch. E-Academia Journal, 12(1), 47–61. https://doi.org/10.24191/e-aj.v12i1.21540

Kee, D. M. H., Chen, Y., Dong, S., Wang, Z., & Zhu, J. (2025). Bites and bytes: Exploring customer experience and satisfaction in food delivery services: A case study of Foodpanda. Advances in Global Economics and Business Journal, 6(1), 1–16.

Keeble, M., Adams, J., Sacks, G., Vanderlee, L., White, C., Hammond, D., & Burgoine, T. (2020). Use of online food delivery services to order food prepared away-from-home and associated sociodemographic characteristics: A cross-sectional, multi-country analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(14), Article 5190. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17145190

Li, Y., Huang, J., & Hu, F. B. (2023). Ultra-processed food consumption and public health: A review of the evidence and future directions. Nutrients, 15(18), Article 3898. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15183898

Lok, Y. H., Teoh, K. B., Liou, Z. Y., Lim, J. T., Lim, K. E., Lim, P. E., & Kee, D. M. H. (2024). The influencing factors on customer behavioral intentions to use a food delivery app in Malaysia. Advances in Global Economics and Business Journal, 5(1), 1–14.

Mangat, K. (2021, July 31). What are the key elements of a great delivery experience? CustomerThink. https://customerthink.com/what-are-the-key-elements-of-a-great-delivery-experience/

Najmie, O. M., Norhidayah, A., & Azyyati, A. (2024). The usage of Foodpanda delivery apps among students: An exploratory study. Jurnal Intelek, 19(1), 46–56. https://doi.org/10.24191/ji.v19i1.24442

Peemanee, J., & Wongsahai, E. (2021). Technology acceptance and service convenience on repeat purchase decision of food delivery business in Thailand. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 756(1), Article 012029. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/756/1/012029

Putri, A. R. A., Nisa, I. K., Yee, L. H., Kee, D. M. H., Min, K. H., Yis, L. S., & Xin, L. J. (2025). J.CO Coffee & Donuts marketing strategy. Asia Pacific Journal of Management and Education, 8(1), 1–12.

Ray, A., Dhir, A., Bala, P. K., & Kaur, P. (2021). Why do people use food delivery apps (FDAs)? A comprehensive review into platform-to-consumer and restaurant-to-consumer apps. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 16, 618–637. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer16040037

Saleh, H. N., Gulati, C., Aronkar, P., Yun, J. J., Yee, L. Q., Hoo, L. L., Ali, L. S., Achmad, D. A., Toma, S., Jain, M., & Kee, D. M. H. (2024). An empirical study of the factors affecting university students’ satisfaction towards Foodpanda mobile application. Asia Pacific Journal of Management and Education, 7(1), 97–112. https://doi.org/10.32535/apjme.v7i1.2936

Sim, C. L., Lok, Y. H., Lim, Z. K., Ling, H. Y., Lim, X. B., Lim, Y. T., Lin, Y. T., Ali, A. J., & Kee, D. M. H. (2025). Online attraction: Investigating digital marketing’s impact on shopping behavior in Shopee. Advances in Global Economics and Business Journal, 6(1), 78–96.

Talib, N. H. S. A., Ab Aziz, W. S. N. A., Bibit, N. S., Yildirim, N. S., Hamzah, S. A. S., & Abdullah, S. K. (2022). The cause affecting consumer satisfaction with food delivery services while the new norm. Asian Journal of Research in Business and Management, 4(3), 682-691.

Tan, H., & Eng Kim, V. W. (2021). Examining the factors that influence consumer satisfaction with online food delivery in Klang Valley, Malaysia. The Journal of Management Theory and Practice, 88–95. https://doi.org/10.37231/jmtp.2021.2.2.115

Wang, C., Korai, A., Jia, S., Allman-Farinelli, M., Chan, V., Roy, R., Raeside, R., Phongsavan, P., Redfern, J., Gibson, A., & Partridge, S. (2021). Hunger for home delivery: Cross-sectional analysis of the nutritional quality of complete menus on an online food delivery platform in Australia. Nutrients, 13(3), Article 905. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13030905

Wong Pooi Hang, A., Singh, P., Lok, Y. H., Yoshanaa, A. P. E. K., Yu, D., Yu, S., Yu, Z., & Kee, D. M. H. (2025). From cash to cashless: The impact of cashless payment adoption on student spending behavior in Malaysia. Advances in Global Economics and Business Journal, 6(2), 163–179.

Zainal Abiddin, N. A., & Khairuddin, I. E. (2022). User satisfaction on food delivery application (FDA) in Klang Valley. Journal of Information and Knowledge Management, 12(2), 161–176. https://doi.org/10.24191/jikm.v12i2.5811

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32535/jcda.v9i3.5059