The Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Citizens' Interest in Delivering Food from Stores and Catering Establishments

This study is aimed at identifying factors affecting the citizens’ interest to use the food delivery service during the spread of the new coronavirus infection. In the research various characteristics of the delivery service of 86 catering establishments and stores in three cities of the Perm Region were analyzed. In addition, the impact of COVID-19 characteristics on consumers’ interest in product delivery was assessed. Factors affecting the potential demand for food delivery were assessed by using pooled regression models of the panel data. In addition, a cluster analysis method was used in the work. The influence on the citizens’ interest to use the food delivery service during a pandemic is exerted by such factors as the delivery cost, type of establishment, as well as the level of limitations due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, potential consumers were primarily interested in the food delivery from stores (the potential demand for delivery of food from stores was 8% more than from fastfood establishments and 156% more than from restaurants).