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This study examines local foodscapes and their dimensions, namely, eco-friendly environment, tradition, infrastructure, accessibility, and price/value, on trust in a store and local food, which in turn impacts loyalty and identified full mediating roles of trust in a store and local food in the relationship between local foodscapes and loyalty. Data were collected from visitors (tourists) who had experienced local foods over the last three months and were analyzed with SmartPLS 3.3.3. The findings show that the dimensions of price/value and eco-friendly environment influence trust in the local store, whereas the history or the tradition along with the eco-friendly environment has an impact on local food consumption—both the local store and the local food influence the level of loyalty among tourists. Implications for theory and practice are discussed within the context of local foodscapes.

This study considers seven residential environment elements and examines their effect on residents’ place attachment (place dependence and place identity), satisfaction, word-of-mouth behavior, and pro-environmental behavior. The study also examines whether gender moderates the proposed relationships. The data were collected from 603 respondents who owned a condominium in Seoul, South Korea. We analyzed the data using structural equation modeling with SmartPLS 4. The finding shows that all seven elements of the residential environment have a significant impact on either dimension of place attachment, except for the insignificant effect of social environment on place dependence. Both dimensions of place attachment have a significant effect on satisfaction, WOM, and pro-environmental behavior except for the insignificant effect of place dependence on pro-environmental behavior. The interaction effect test of gender shows that males consider eco-friendly materials and green/recreational areas more than females. On the other hand, females are found to weigh and social environments more heavily than males. The finding shows that pro-environmental behavior is influenced by place identity (not by place dependence) and satisfaction, indicating a key role of affective response.

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As many customers stopped dining out during COVID-19, most restaurants suffered financially. Even after the pandemic, some customers remain wary of being in a crowded place and show resistance to eating out. Restaurants faced with customer resistance and a labor shortage started to adopt electronic devices to minimize human contact and were recognized as having safety protocols in place. Kiosks have gained popularity in the restaurant industry as they can help reduce interpersonal contact, save labor costs, streamline the ordering process, and increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. This study finds that self-service technologies (e.g., kiosks) can be an effective tool for restaurants to utilize in dealing with COVID-wary customers and to remain resilient. This study not only examines various kiosk attributes and their effect on the customers’ experience but also links them to potential revenue growth. By examining a comprehensive set of kiosk attributes, the objective of this study is to understand the role of kiosk attributes in creating a memorable experience for customers based on the concept of the experience economy. The data were collected from 408 restaurant patrons in South Korea who had used self-service technologies. Three analyses were performed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), multigroup analysis (MGA), and importance–performance map analysis (IPMA) with SmartPLS 4. The findings are as follows: for male customers, assurance, customization, enjoyment, design, and functionality are considered important aspects of their experience. For female customers, design, enjoyment, and security are important factors in their experience. The finding suggests that males and females consider different attributes in evaluating the technology experience. Additionally, this study finds that a memorable experience with technology affects customers’ intention to revisit the restaurant, playing a mediating role between technology attributes and revisit intention. Lastly, this study finds distinct differences between males and females in their assessment of customization and design. The gender-based differences suggest that men and women assess kiosk technologies differently. Future research may be needed to further investigate the underlying causes of the differences.