**1. Introduction**

The ways of interaction between customers and retailers are changing due to technological advancements [1]. In recent times, retailers are adopting dynamic technologies to execute complex business operations [2]. This technological change has reduced employees' participation, and increased customers' involvement in the design and delivery of products and services, creating challenges and opportunities for businesses [3]. To compete with the globalized business world, companies must adopt advanced technology for efficient and seamless business processes [1]. In many countries, drone food delivery services are not commercialized due to legal constraints [4]. However, this technology has huge potential to fulfill customers' needs. Due to technological innovation in retail sectors, the relationship between customers and retailers has improved and ultimately increased customers' loyalty to particular retailers [4]. Particularly, drone technology has had a substantial impact on

**Citation:** Waris, I.; Ali, R.; Nayyar, A.; Baz, M.; Liu, R.; Hameed, I. An Empirical Evaluation of Customers' Adoption of Drone Food Delivery Services: An Extended Technology Acceptance Model. *Sustainability* **2022**, *14*, 2922. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/su14052922

Academic Editors: María del Carmen Valls Martínez, José-María Montero and Pedro Antonio Martín Cervantes

Received: 18 January 2022 Accepted: 20 February 2022 Published: 2 March 2022

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**Copyright:** © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).

food delivery services [2,5]. In addition, drones are an innovative solution to traditional food delivery services, such as cars and motorcycles, which contribute to traffic jams and environmental pollution [2].

The adoption of drone technologies has huge potential in the retail sector due to its vigorous service delivery system. In recent times, various chains such as YO! Sushi, a London-based chain restaurant, Francesco's Pizza in India, and Casa Madrona hotel in the U.S. have successfully implemented drones food delivery services to customers. UberEats is planning to launch a drone delivery service as it is more efficient than traditional food delivery through partners who use bikes and cars [4]. Foodpanda, a food delivery company in Pakistan is planning to launch drone food delivery services in the name of Pandafly. Pandafly will be the first Pakistani commercial drone to provide drone food delivery services in Pakistan. Flytrex, a company that develops drones stated that drones can cover a distance of three miles within 5 to 10 min. Further, they reported that drones are more efficient than humans as they make five deliveries within an hour compared to two to three deliveries [2]. In addition, a study indicated that the use of drone technology for food delivery would significantly reduce environmental pollution [5]. Researchers posited that the current food delivery system that is based on gasoline-powered vehicles such as car and motorcycles cause pollution to the environment. Contrary to this, drone-based food delivery services are environmentally friendly because they are operated by batteries that are charged with electricity [6]. Past empirical studies reported that drone food delivery services are environmentally friendly. For example, previous researchers highlighted that drone-based food delivery services have an advantage over motorcycle delivery services because they reduce global warming potential (GWP) [7]. Another study suggested that drone-based delivery services can reduce greenhouse gas emissions [8]. Climate change has made Pakistan a highly vulnerable country among the developing nations [9]. Therefore, the introduction of drone delivery services will help to reduce environmental pollution and thus protect the environment.

A comprehensive review of the literature reveals that drone food delivery services will not have an issue with commercialization in the coming years. However, academic literature is very scarce related to this emerging topic due to the newness of technology [4,7,10]. For example, a recent study has focused on technological and legal aspects of using drone delivery services, and failed to address consumer perception which is an essential element of technology adoption [11,12]. Further, some researchers highlighted the importance of improving the usage of drone food delivery services but they did not assess the usefulness of the technology from customers' perspectives [4,10]. Another study explored the association between eco-friendly drone technology and customer behavioral intention, failing to address customers' innovative traits [2]. Recently, researchers integrated the technology acceptance model (TAM) and theory of planned behavior (TPB) theories and studied the customers' intention to use drone delivery services [4]. They found that technology-related constructs and core constructs of TPB positively affect customers' intention to use drone delivery services. However, the moderating effect of product innovativeness was insignificant. Unlike a recent study that assessed only product innovativeness in the customers' adoption of drone food services [4]. To address this research gap, the current study has focused on both dimensions of customer innovativeness in the adoption of drone technology in the context of food delivery services. Particularly, the current study attempts (1) to explain customer innovativeness in the domain of drone delivery services, (2) to explore the ease and usefulness of drone delivery services, (3) to identify the importance of subjective norms in building attitude towards drone delivery services, and (4) to assess the relationship between attitude and sub-dimension of behavioral intention which includes word of mouth, willingness to pay more, and intention to use.

Thus, the current study integrated TAM with domain-specific innovativeness (product processing innovativeness and information processing innovativeness) and subjective norms in the context of drone food delivery services. Since the 1990s, the concept of innovativeness has gained momentum and become the center of attraction for marketers and practitioners around the globe [4,13,14]. Extant literature reveals the importance of innovativeness in a specific domain to attain a competitive edge in the market and increase the probability of innovative product adoption [4,15]. In addition, subjective norms were found an important construct that informs about the use of technology, the person may believe that technology is beneficial which in turn leads to an intention to adopt it [16].
