IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/joreco/v90y2026ics0969698925004412.html

Turning the “virtual†into the “actual†: the role of perceived marketplace influence in transforming platform affordances into green logistics behaviour

Author

Listed:
  • Cai, Lanhui
  • Luo, Wenhao
  • Fang, Mingjie
  • Wang, Xueqin

Abstract

This study investigates how green virtual platforms influence users' intentions to engage in green logistics behaviours. It focuses on the psychological mechanisms, particularly perceived marketplace influence (PMI), through which individuals' perceived impact on market trends and other consumers' behaviour shapes behavioural intentions. Drawing on technology affordance theory and construal level theory, this study extends a theoretical framework linking two key digital affordances (i.e. competition and relatedness) to the quantifiability and visibility of green achievements. These features are hypothesised to reduce psychological distance and promote a more concrete construal of PMI, ultimately encouraging offline green logistics behaviours. A survey was conducted, and the proposed model was tested using structural equation modelling. The results support the hypothesised relationships. Quantifiability and visibility of achievements significantly reduce psychological distance and enhance PMI, which in turn positively influences users’ intentions to engage in green logistics behaviours. This research contributes to theory by identifying PMI as a central cognitive mechanism connecting virtual platform engagement with real-world sustainable behaviours. It also provides practical insights for designing digital platforms that effectively promote environmentally responsible consumer logistics.

Suggested Citation

  • Cai, Lanhui & Luo, Wenhao & Fang, Mingjie & Wang, Xueqin, 2026. "Turning the “virtual†into the “actual†: the role of perceived marketplace influence in transforming platform affordances into green logistics behaviour," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:90:y:2026:i:c:s0969698925004412
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2025.104662
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969698925004412
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jretconser.2025.104662?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Weiwei Shang & Run Zhu & Weiwei Liu & Qian Liu, 2024. "Understanding the Influences on Green Purchase Intention with Moderation by Sustainability Awareness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-16, May.
    2. Zhang, Fei & Zhang, Yi & Liao, Shiyu & Zhou, Xingjian & Ma, Xiaogang, 2025. "Research on the impact of matched effects between green advertising appeals and product type on consumer purchase intention," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    3. Wallace, Elaine & Buil, Isabel, 2023. "Antecedents and consequences of conspicuous green behavior on social media: Incorporating the virtual self-identity into the theory of planned behavior," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    4. Dong, Xuebing & Wang, Biao & Fan, Xiucheng & Deng, Nianqi, 2026. "“Manipulated virtual influencers (VIs)†： The impact of VI post customization level on consumers’ willingness to engage in VI marketing campaigns," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    5. Jing Luan & Raffaele Filieri & Jie Xiao & Yue Sun, 2023. "Consumer–brand relationships and social distance: A construal level theory perspective," Post-Print hal-04779128, HAL.
    6. Habib, Muhammad Danish & Attri, Rekha & Salam, Mohammad Asif & Yaqub, Muhammad Zafar, 2025. "Bright and dark sides of green consumerism: An in-depth qualitative investigation in retailing context," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    7. Abigail B. Schneider & Bridget Leonard, 2022. "From anxiety to control: Mask‐wearing, perceived marketplace influence, and emotional well‐being during the COVID‐19 pandemic," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(1), pages 97-119, March.
    8. Qiulai Su & Fei Zhou & Yenchun Jim Wu, 2020. "Using Virtual Gifts on Live Streaming Platforms as a Sustainable Strategy to Stimulate Consumers’ Green Purchase Intention," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-15, May.
    9. Liu, Xiaodi & Zhou, Zengze & Yuen, Kum Fai & Wang, Xueqin, 2024. "Green and gamified! An investigation of consumer participation in green last-mile from a gamification affordance perspective," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    10. Li, Xu & Jiang, Qiqi & Wang, Kanliang, 2025. "Views or likes? Utilizing social paratexts to make recommendations more effective in mobile social E-commerce: Construal level perspective," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    11. Wang, Shaofeng & Zhang, Hao, 2025. "Artificial intelligence digital employees and sustainable innovation in online retail: The mediating role of ambidextrous green innovation and the moderating role of ethical anxiety," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    12. Kim, Songmee & Youn, Chorong & Cho, Erin & Kim, Sunwoo, 2025. "When virtual influencers cause service failures: The impact of human likeness and beauty types on social psychological distance and consumer intentions," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    13. Zhou, Fei & Lin, Youhai & Mou, Jian, 2023. "Unpacking the effect of gamified virtual CSR cocreated on users’ pro-environmental behavior: A holistic view of gamification affordance," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    14. Shehawy, Yasser Moustafa & Ali Khan, Syed Md Faisal, 2024. "Consumer readiness for green consumption: The role of green awareness as a moderator of the relationship between green attitudes and purchase intentions," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    15. Kautish, Pradeep & Paço, Arminda & Thaichon, Park, 2022. "Sustainable consumption and plastic packaging: Relationships among product involvement, perceived marketplace influence and choice behavior," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    16. Hamari, Juho & Koivisto, Jonna, 2015. "Why do people use gamification services?," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 419-431.
    17. Bret Leary, R. & Vann, Richard J. & Mittelstaedt, John D., 2017. "Leading the way: Motivating environmental action through perceived marketplace influence," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 79-89.
    18. Leary, R. Bret & Vann, Richard J. & Mittelstaedt, John D. & Murphy, Patrick E. & Sherry,, John F., 2014. "Changing the marketplace one behavior at a time: Perceived marketplace influence and sustainable consumption," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(9), pages 1953-1958.
    19. Wang, Zhihao & Li, Wei & Wang, Mengxin, 2024. "Exploring the social diffusion effects of green consumption: Evidence from green innovative products," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    20. Tan, Lay Peng & Casidy, Riza & Arli, Denni, 2025. "Drivers of strategic green marketing orientation: An SME owner-manager perspective," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    21. Mahapatra, Amalendu Singha & Sengupta, Shahana & Dasgupta, Arup & Sarkar, Biswajit & Goswami, Radha Tamal, 2025. "What is the impact of demand patterns on integrated online-offline and buy-online-pickup in-store (BOPS) retail in a smart supply chain management?," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    22. Bai, Huifeng & Tassiello, Vito & Sun, Yan & Shi, Jin, 2026. "Do second-hand luxury retailers affect luxury brand image? Exploring the mediation of construal level theory between official and unofficial retailers," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    23. Yue, Ruiting & Xu, Xianhao & Li, Zhiwen & Bai, Qingguo, 2024. "Reusable packaging adoption in e-commerce markets with green consumers: An evolutionary game analysis," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Huang, Han & Li, Qianwen & Long, Ruyin, 2026. "Guidance strategies for green consumption from an information ecology perspective: Dynamic modeling and scenario simulation in social networks," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 89(PA).
    2. Jean Fausner Michel & Claudel Mombeuil & Hemantha Premakumara Diunugala, 2023. "Antecedents of green consumption intention: a focus on generation Z consumers of a developing country," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(12), pages 14545-14566, December.
    3. Kautish, Pradeep & Paço, Arminda & Thaichon, Park, 2022. "Sustainable consumption and plastic packaging: Relationships among product involvement, perceived marketplace influence and choice behavior," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    4. Abigail B. Schneider & Bridget Leonard, 2022. "From anxiety to control: Mask‐wearing, perceived marketplace influence, and emotional well‐being during the COVID‐19 pandemic," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(1), pages 97-119, March.
    5. Sumit Tripathi & Roma Trigunait & Dinesh Chandra Pandey, 2025. "A Behavioral and Environmental Framework for Sustainable Retail Forecasting and Decision-Making," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 5(7), pages 5935-5963, December.
    6. Salhieh, Sa’Ed M., 2026. "Does ‘green’ matter? Understanding consumer behavior toward low-involvement green products," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    7. Chengxiang Chu & Zhenyang Shen & Hanyi Xu & Qizhi Wei & Cong Cao, 2024. "How to avoid sinking in swamp: exploring the intentions of digitally disadvantaged groups to use a new public infrastructure that combines physical and virtual spaces," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-17, December.
    8. Sara Mohamed Abdelaziz El-Menawy, 2025. "Sustainability-driven marketing education: assessing the role of perceived marketplace influence on consumption patterns in private Egyptian universities," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-19, December.
    9. Ishaq, Muhammad Ishtiaq & Baloch, Rukhsar & Raza, Ali & Talpur, Qurat-ul-ain & Ahmad, Rehan, 2025. "Ecological consciousness, moral self-identity and green conspicuous behavior: Moderating role of religiosity," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    10. Taeuk Kim & Sunmi Yun, 2019. "How Will Changes toward Pro-Environmental Behavior Play in Customers’ Perceived Value of Environmental Concerns at Coffee Shops?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(14), pages 1-19, July.
    11. Tian, Zhouyuan & Huang, Chia-Hsing, 2025. "Effects of color-typeface congruence on product evaluation," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    12. Xu, Xianhao & Yue, Ruiting & Yang, Bingnan & Li, Zhiwen, 2025. "Integrating game theory and data-driven optimization models for online retailers with reusable packaging adoption," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    13. Hsu, Chia-Lin, 2025. "Environmental sustainability gamification: Conceptualization and scale development," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    14. Li, Feng & Liu, SiTong & Wang, Huanzhang, 2026. "Collaborative filtering or content-based recommendation? The effects of digital platform recommendation type on consumer's intention," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    15. Ibrahim, Yara & Moubarak, Hosam & Badawy, Hebatallah, 2026. "Explainable neural algorithms for corporate sustainability forecasting: A layered predictive model anchored in executive awareness, green finance, and digital innovation," Innovation and Green Development, Elsevier, vol. 5(1).
    16. An, Xin-Ru & Li, Ai-Mei & Liu, Nan & Zhang, Jin & Gao, Ying, 2026. "Men can be green! Resource concern explains gender differences in green consumption," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    17. Yasser Moustafa Shehawy & Syed Md Faisal Ali Khan & Qasem Mohammed Alshammakhi, 2026. "The Knowledgeable Nexus Between Metaverse Startups and SDGs: The Role of Innovations in Community Building and Socio-Cultural Exchange," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 17(1), pages 2433-2468, February.
    18. Mingyu Chen & William Rodger, 2026. "Artificial Intelligence and Energy Efficiency for Ecological Sustainability: Can Regulatory Quality Overcome the Net Zero Challenges in G7 Economies?," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(2), pages 1773-1790, April.
    19. Saddam A. Hazaea & Ebrahim Mohammed Al-Matari & Khaled Zedan & Saleh F. A. Khatib & Jinyu Zhu & Hamzeh Al Amosh, 2022. "Green Purchasing: Past, Present and Future," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-28, April.
    20. Guchhait, Rekha & Sarkar, Biswajit, 2025. "Economic evaluation of an outsourced fourth-party logistics (4PL) under a flexible production system," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 279(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:90:y:2026:i:c:s0969698925004412. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-retailing-and-consumer-services .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.