Abstract
South Africa’s same-day-grocery-delivery sector is growing exponentially, driven by
convenience, time-saving and product variety, especially among younger consumers.
However, increased competition among same-day-grocery-delivery mobile apps and
reduced disposable income have led to a rise in brand switching. This study explores
the key factors influencing brand switching in this sector, focusing on variety seeking,
perceived quality, price-consciousness, financial risk and consumer attitudes within the
customer-based brand equity and theory of reasoned action framework. While these
factors have been examined in other retailing sectors and markets, limited research
exists on their impact within the South African same-day-grocery-delivery sector and,
more specifically, the moderating role of income. Using a quantitative approach, an
online questionnaire was distributed to a purposive sample size of 300 respondents.
The findings suggest that perceived quality, price-consciousness and financial risk
influence consumer attitudes, where positive attitudes towards same-day-grocery-delivery
mobile apps decrease the likelihood of brand switching. Furthermore, there is no
meaningful moderation effect of income on any of the above-mentioned constructs. As
such, same-day-grocery-delivery mobile apps should continue creating positive attitudes
by enhancing perceived quality, mitigating financial risk, improving perceptions of
privacy and trust and creating fun and enjoyable shopping experiences to reduce
brand switching.