Understanding Barriers in Food delivery Adoption in Tier-2 India
Need
A leading food delivery platform partnered with Blue Caterpillars to decode the reasons behind low engagement in Jaipur’s Vaishali Nagar a locality where digital services are rising, yet food delivery adoption remains uneven. The objective was to identify emotional, functional, and behavioural barriers, while also uncovering key triggers that could encourage trial or build long-term trust among different consumer segments.
A media conglomerate wanted to understand consumer and relationship with comedy shows. Blue Caterpillars was challenged with the task of understanding comedy as genre and elements that click with consumers.
Approach
We conducted in-depth, qualitative conversations with a mix of students, working professionals, and families, including both migrants and long-term residents of Vaishali Nagar. The design blended one-on-one interviews to understand personal frictions and motivations, with family-based discussions to uncover collective beliefs around food, safety, and lifestyle choices.
Outcome
In Vaishali Nagar, food choices reflect a balance between modern convenience and deep-rooted cultural habits. While younger users embrace delivery for ease, families prefer dining out for trust and connection. Key barriers often include veg or non-veg ambiguity quality, hygiene, and emotional disconnect, highlighting the need for food platforms to humanize experiences and build cultural trust.
The finding assisted in mapping the entire decision-making journey: from app discovery to reasons for hesitating or dropping off. We explored trust touchpoints, emotional comfort zones, and deeper associations with food habits in the context of convenience and culture.
The study opened up clear marketing opportunities for platforms to drive customer acquisition by building emotional trust, offering clear veg/non-veg labelling, and highlighting hygiene practices and delivery safety features can help bridge the gap and nudge first-time users in this culturally anchored market.
