Understanding technology paradoxes in local food retailing

Purpose Local producers and retailers continuously introduce new digital technologies and services for their customers. This study examines (1) which technology paradoxes operate within local food shopping contexts and (2) how these paradoxes influence consumers’ adoption or rejection of such tools. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual model was developed and tested through a large-scale survey of 800 French consumers across gender, age and region. Structural equation modelling and multi-group A/B testing were employed to analyse the effects of technology paradoxes on (dis)satisfaction and the adoption or rejection of digital technologies for local food shopping. Findings Seven technology paradoxes were identified: efficiency-inefficiency, control-chaos, engaging-disengaging, interaction-isolation, competence-incompetence, freedom-enslavement and personalisation-privacy. A key finding is the asymmetrical impact of positive properties (e.g. efficiency and freedom) and negative properties (e.g. inefficiency and isolation) on technology use via (Dis)satisfaction; notably, negative properties exert a stronger effect, resulting in technology rejection. Originality/value This study is among the first to quantitatively examine technology paradoxes in local food shopping. It extends the technology-paradox framework to this retail context, demonstrates the role of negativity bias in technology adoption and reveals how local product characteristics moderate consumer responses. These findings provide valuable insights for developing more consumer-friendly digital solutions in local food retailing.