iDabao during Covid-19: Online-to-offline (O2O) food delivery service and the digitalization of Hawker (street) food during a crisis

The 2019 novel coronavirus (Covid-19) health pandemic has triggered unprecedented shocks to the global tourism and hospitality industry. Whilst there has been heightened discourse and rapid investigations analyzing the impacts of this extraordinary crisis on multiple aspects of the industry, the specific evaluation of Covid-19 on hawker (street) food has been lacking. This study investigates the impact of Covid-19 on hawkers in Singapore, and the digitalization of hawker food through online-to-offline (O2O) services such as food delivery apps (FDA). Extant studies on O2O services and related FDA have largely focused on the technological features, informational characteristics and user consumption behavior. In contrast, this study explores the role and digitalization value of O2O services in supporting hawkers and safeguarding Singapore's hawker culture. Preliminary findings of key challenges and opportunities of digitizing hawker food are also presented.