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I can’t count the number of times I’ve opened Zomato just to ‘look around’ and ended up buying something even when I wasn’t hungry. All of us have experienced this situation at least once. Zomato and other food-delivery apps are designed in ways that influence our decisions, and this is where behavioural economics comes in.

Behavioural economics is the study of how people make decisions in real life. Unlike traditional economics, which assumes that people always make logical choices, behavioural economics recognises that emotions, habits, and small design choices can affect our decisions.

One common example is the countdown timer during special offers. When an app says, “Only 5 minutes left!” many people feel pressured to place an order quickly. Even if the offer returns later, the timer creates a sense of urgency. This is known as the scarcity effect, where something seems more valuable because it appears limited.

Another example is the “People also ordered” section. If you’re ordering a pizza and the app suggests garlic bread or a cold drink, you may feel tempted to add them. This is called nudging. A nudge is a small change in how choices are presented that encourages people to make a particular decision without forcing them.

Many apps also highlight “Most Popular” or “Bestseller” items. Seeing that thousands of people have ordered a certain dish makes us believe it would be good which is why we end up ordering it.

Discounts also play an important role. An offer like “Spend ₹99 more to get free delivery” often convinces customers to buy extra food even when they originally planned to spend less. Ironically, people may end up spending more money just to avoid paying a delivery fee. This shows how our minds sometimes focus more on avoiding a loss than on saving money overall.

Loyalty rewards and streaks are another interesting feature. Earning points, badges, or coupons after every order encourages users to keep returning to the same app. Over time, ordering food can become a habit rather than a carefully thought-out decision.

None of these features are necessarily bad. They make apps easier to use and can even help users discover new restaurants or save money through genuine discounts. However, they also encourage impulse buying, where people purchase something without planning to.

Personally, I think it is interesting how much psychology is involved in something as simple as ordering dinner. Before learning about behavioural economics, I thought I was making completely independent choices. Now I realise that the design of these apps plays a much bigger role in what I choose than I expected.

The next time you open a food-delivery app, take a moment to notice the timers, recommendations, discounts, and notifications. You may start to realise that you’re taking part in a behavioural economics experiment while just ordering food.