Purpose This study aims to examine how organizational legitimacy operates as a mechanism shaping customer experience during digital platform integration, focusing on the transition from Cornershop to Uber Eats in Chile. It analyzes how pragmatic, moral and cognitive legitimacy influence users’ evaluations of value, trust and attachment. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative abductive research design was used, drawing on 20 semistructured interviews with former Cornershop users who experienced the migration to Uber Eats. Thematic analysis was conducted using institutional theory as the interpretive lens, enabling the identification of legitimacy-based mechanisms underlying service experience evaluations. Findings The findings show that the transition generated a progressive erosion of organizational legitimacy. While pragmatic legitimacy (efficiency and convenience) initially sustained continued platform use, the erosion of moral legitimacy (relational care and fairness) and cognitive legitimacy (cultural identity and familiarity) led to emotional detachment, reduced trust and diminished symbolic value. Even when functional performance was maintained, the loss of ethical and cultural alignment weakened customer attachment and belonging. Research limitations/implications This study is based on a single case within a Latin American context, which may limit generalizability. Future research could extend these findings through cross-national comparisons and by examining legitimacy–value relationships using mixed-method or longitudinal designs. Practical implications Organizations undergoing mergers, rebranding or platform integration should preserve symbolic and cultural elements, ensure transparent communication and maintain relational proximity to prevent the erosion of legitimacy. Social implications The findings highlight that digital platform transformations can disrupt not only service performance but also social trust and community belonging. In Latin American contexts, maintaining cultural identity, ethical sensitivity and relational practices is critical to sustaining platform legitimacy and fostering socially embedded service relationships. Originality/value This study conceptualizes organizational legitimacy as a mechanism shaping customer experience during digital platform transformations. It demonstrates how pragmatic, moral and cognitive legitimacy interact, showing that functional performance alone cannot compensate for the erosion of relational and symbolic legitimacy.
Guíñez-Cabrera et al. (Wed,) studied this question.