Table 2.

Development of the O2O food delivery industry with shifting demands and operation.

	O2O platforms	O2O customers	O2O food providers	Government
2015–2017 Low cost	• Goal: expansion by attracting new customers • Attract customers with low prices • Unhealthy competition	• Passively choose O2O service to cover a quick meal • Prefer cheap food	• Mostly cooked food • Lack of food safety awareness • Lack of employment diversity	• Limited regulation
2017–2019 High quality	• Goal: profit through increased spending per customer • Entice customers with quality and diverse products	• Actively choose O2O service to achieve quality life • Seek food of high quality and diversity	• Provide cooked food, grocery and everyday items • Food safety strategies with higher level of transparency and supervision • Diversification of employment positions	• National and local policy and regulation to monitor both platforms and businesses

Note: The summary of 2015–2017 was retrieved from our published article “How we eat determines what we become: opportunities and challenges brought by food delivery industry in a changing world in China”.¹