The Role of Public Food Delivery Mobile Applications in the Food Delivery Market: A Game Theory Model

Abstract

Purpose: The study aims to assess the current status of domestic public food delivery apps and analyze the process through which sellers choose between private delivery apps and public delivery apps. This involves exploring strategies to achieve the original purpose of public food delivery apps, which is to enhance the small business owners income and promote consumer welfare by preventing the monopoly of private food delivery apps. Research design, data and methodology: the research methodology is based on a model that introduces adjustments for non-economic effects, considering the preferences of multi-homing consumers, to more realistically reflect the benefits of sellers' choices. For data analysis, real business performance data from Daeguro, Meokkaebi, and Somunnan Shop were used. Results: The study revealed that if the market share of public delivery apps within a specific region increases beyond a certain level, the benefits for small-business sellers also increase. This leads to the strategic advantage of simultaneously using both delivery apps. Furthermore, the results exhibit a tendency similar to real social phenomena. Conclusions: This analysis confirmed the role of public food delivery apps in the domestic delivery app market and presents policy recommendations, including application integration and the implementation of exclusive public interest functions, to effectively fulfill this role.