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Does COVID-19 Promote Self-Service Usage among Modern Shoppers? An Exploration of Pandemic-Driven Behavioural Changes in Self-Collection Users

Author

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  • Xueqin Wang

    (Department of International Logistics, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Korea)

  • Yiik Diew Wong

    (School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore)

  • Kum Fai Yuen

    (School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore)

Abstract

Due to health concerns related to COVID-19, shoppers have learned to minimise social contact by adopting various contactless self-service technologies to fulfil their consumption needs. This study explores shoppers’ behavioural changes in relation to self-service, using the special research context of e-commerce self-collection services. By synthesising insights from the health psychology literature, this study proposes an affective-cognitive-social perspective to explain the pandemic-driven behavioural changes of self-collection users. The survey instrument is used for online data collection ( n = 500), and a combined (descriptive and quantitative) method is adopted for data analysis. Our results suggest that, although with a relatively weak predictive power, the affective and cognitive appraisals of health risks lead to the reinforced usage of self-collection service. This also applies to the factors of action/coping planning and subjective norm. This study theoretically contributes to the self-service literature and creates managerial implications for retailers and logistics operators.

Suggested Citation

  • Xueqin Wang & Yiik Diew Wong & Kum Fai Yuen, 2021. "Does COVID-19 Promote Self-Service Usage among Modern Shoppers? An Exploration of Pandemic-Driven Behavioural Changes in Self-Collection Users," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-22, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:16:p:8574-:d:614113
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    Cited by:

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    3. Leung, Abraham & Lachapelle, Ugo & Burke, Matthew, 2023. "Spatio-temporal analysis of Australia Post parcel locker use during the initial system growth phase in Queensland (2013–2017)," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    4. Beckers, Joris & Cardenas, Ivan & Le Pira, Michela & Zhang, Jia, 2023. "Exploring Logistics-as-a-Service to integrate the consumer into urban freight," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).

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