Cart abandonment in the case of food delivery apps: Insights from young consumers

The rapid expansion of the online food delivery market has brought a significant challenge for platforms and restaurants: shopping cart abandonment. The primary aim of this study is to investigate how the financial, technological, and psychological factors influence cart abandonment among young Romanian consumers, specifically Generation Z. It seeks to understand the situations when the convenience of using a food delivery application is overshadowed by different types of barriers. To achieve this objective, a quantitative research methodology was used. Primary data was collected through an online survey, resulting a sample of 190 active users of food delivery apps, predominantly youths aged 19 to 22 from Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The collected data was processed using descriptive statistics and One- Way ANOVA tests to measure the impact of different stimuli on the consumers’ purchasing behavior. The findings reveal a significant shift in the modern consumer’s decision-making process. The most critical conclusion is that financial transparency is a non-negotiable expectation, as hidden delivery and service fees added at the final checkout step universally trigger immediate cart abandonment, regardless of the user’s income level. Furthermore, the lack of promotional offers heavily segments the market, driving lower-budget youths to abandon their orders. Psychologically, the lack of trust in a restaurant’s hygiene standards outweighs the initial need for convenience, acting as a definitive purchasing barrier. On the other side, the study proves that young consumers do not mind a longer checkout process or a visually cluttered app interface as much as other studies have shown. JEL Classification: M30, L80 Article History: Received: May 5, 2026; Reviewed: July 31, 2026; Accepted: September 8, 2026; Available online: September 23, 2026.