IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i11p4743-d1407458.html

The Role of Last-Mile Delivery Quality and Satisfaction in Online Retail Experience: An Empirical Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Khalid Aljohani

    (Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Jeddah, Jeddah 23890, Saudi Arabia)

Abstract

The rise of the e-commerce industry has markedly changed the global economy, providing customers with unparalleled access to goods and services. This study empirically examines online shoppers’ perceptions and preferences, focusing on their experiences with last-mile delivery (LMD) services and its impact on their shopping behaviour. This research employs machine learning classification and regression models for a large-scale analysis of customers’ responses, collected using an online survey in the main cities in Saudi Arabia, which is experiencing rapid e-commerce growth amidst a broader digital transformation. The findings highlight a strong consumer preference for timely LMD services, typically within a day of purchase, while noting dissatisfaction with exceedingly early delivery windows. The research emphasises the need to address customer dissatisfaction with delivery services to retain clientele, as many may switch retailers without informing the retailers. Additionally, a considerable trend towards preferring digital over cash-on-delivery payment methods was observed among online shoppers. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the significant influence of LMD services on customer satisfaction and behaviour in the e-commerce sector. The use of robust machine learning models has revealed critical factors that can guide retailers and LMD providers in enhancing service delivery and customer experience, contributing to the broader discourse on e-commerce logistics efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Suggested Citation

  • Khalid Aljohani, 2024. "The Role of Last-Mile Delivery Quality and Satisfaction in Online Retail Experience: An Empirical Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-23, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:11:p:4743-:d:1407458
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/11/4743/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/11/4743/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Paulo Rita & Ricardo F. Ramos, 2022. "Global Research Trends in Consumer Behavior and Sustainability in E-Commerce: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Knowledge Structure," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-20, August.
    2. Yang, Wei & Vatsa, Puneet & Ma, Wanglin & Zheng, Hongyun, 2023. "Does mobile payment adoption really increase online shopping expenditure in China: A gender-differential analysis," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 99-110.
    3. Grewal, Dhruv & Roggeveen, Anne L., 2020. "Understanding Retail Experiences and Customer Journey Management," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 96(1), pages 3-8.
    4. Yu Hao & Shuang Liu & Zhu Liduzi Jiesisibieke & Yi-Jie Xu, 2019. "What Determines University Students’ Online Consumer Credit? Evidence From China," SAGE Open, , vol. 9(1), pages 21582440198, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Anca POPESCU & Adriana TULBURE, 2024. "Revolutionizing Urban Last-Mile Delivery With Automated Parcel Lockers: An Overview," Annals of Faculty of Economics, University of Oradea, Faculty of Economics, vol. 33(2), pages 317-327, December.
    2. repec:bcp:journl:v:9:y:2025:i:28:p:381-390 is not listed 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. Adam Wasilewski & Anna Zgrzywa-Ziemak, 2024. "Multi-variant e-commerce user interfaces for business sustainability," Operations Research and Decisions, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Management, vol. 34(4), pages 211-229.
    2. Heirati, Nima & Pitardi, Valentina & Wirtz, Jochen & Jayawardhena, Chanaka & Kunz, Werner & Paluch, Stefanie, 2025. "Unintended consequences of service robots – Recent progress and future research directions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).
    3. Patrick Klein & Bastian Popp, 2022. "Last-Mile Delivery Methods in E-Commerce: Does Perceived Sustainability Matter for Consumer Acceptance and Usage?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-27, December.
    4. Sneha Singh & Deepak Kaushal & Vinay Kandpal & ShivamKrishn Agarwal, 2025. "An Examination of the Literature on the Correlation between Sustainable Products and Purchase Intention," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 5(5), pages 4197-4219, October.
    5. Rahman, Syed Mahmudur & Carlson, Jamie & Gudergan, Siegfried P. & Wetzels, Martin & Grewal, Dhruv, 2022. "Perceived Omnichannel Customer Experience (OCX): Concept, measurement, and impact," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 98(4), pages 611-632.
    6. Ologunebi, John & Taiwo, Ebenezer & All, Kazeem, 2024. "Digital Consumer Behavior in E-commerce: A Study of Amazon and Temu's Customer Purchase Decision-Making Processes in the UK and the USA," MPRA Paper 123096, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Roggeveen, Anne L. & Rosengren, Sara, 2022. "From customer experience to human experience: Uses of systematized and non-systematized knowledge," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    8. David A. Schweidel & Yakov Bart & J. Jeffrey Inman & Andrew T. Stephen & Barak Libai & Michelle Andrews & Ana Babić Rosario & Inyoung Chae & Zoey Chen & Daniella Kupor & Chiara Longoni & Felipe Thomaz, 2022. "How consumer digital signals are reshaping the customer journey," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 50(6), pages 1257-1276, November.
    9. Nilsson, Jonas & Jansson, Johan & Nicholas, Kimberly & Zhao, Chunli, 2025. "Traveler perceived service quality and satisfaction with public transport: The influence of digital competence and environmental attitudes," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    10. Xiaohui Sun & Zhijian Cai & Chongyu Wang & Jing Wang, 2024. "The Impact of Digital Inclusive Finance on Residents’ Cultural Consumption in China: An Urban-Rural Difference Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-18, December.
    11. Robert Zimmermann & Andreas Auinger, 2023. "Developing a conversion rate optimization framework for digital retailers—case study," Journal of Marketing Analytics, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(2), pages 233-243, June.
    12. Li, Qi & Wang, Quansheng & Song, Peijian, 2022. "Do customers always adopt buy-online-and-pick-up-in-store service? Consideration of location-based store density in omni-channel retailing," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    13. Cuesta-Valiño, Pedro & Gutiérrez-Rodríguez, Pablo & Núnez-Barriopedro, Estela & García-Henche, Blanca, 2023. "Strategic orientation towards digitization to improve supermarket loyalty in an omnichannel context," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    14. Gleim, Mark R. & McCullough, Heath & Gabler, Colin & Ferrell, Linda & Ferrell, O.C., 2025. "Examining the customer experience in the metaverse retail revolution," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    15. Isha Chawla & Manouchehr Mokhtari, 2025. "Financial Overconfidence and High-Cost Borrowing: The Moderating Effect of Mobile Payments," FinTech, MDPI, vol. 4(1), pages 1-18, February.
    16. Mortimer, Gary & Andrade, María Lucila Osorio & Fazal-e-Hasan, Syed Muhammad, 2024. "From traditional to transformed: Examining the pre- and post-COVID consumers’ shopping mall experiences," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    17. Lien Lamey & Els Breugelmans & Maya Vuegen & Anne ter Braak, 2021. "Retail service innovations and their impact on retailer shareholder value: evidence from an event study," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 49(4), pages 811-833, July.
    18. Fernandes, Semila & Venkatesh, V.G. & Panda, Rajesh & Shi, Yangyan, 2021. "Measurement of factors influencing online shopper buying decisions: A scale development and validation," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    19. Grewal, Dhruv & Benoit, Sabine & Noble, Stephanie M. & Guha, Abhijit & Ahlbom, Carl-Philip & Nordfält, Jens, 2023. "Leveraging In-Store Technology and AI: Increasing Customer and Employee Efficiency and Enhancing their Experiences," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 99(4), pages 487-504.
    20. Sheng-Chi Chen & Shari S. C. Shang, 2021. "Sustaining User Experience in a Smart System in the Retail Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-14, May.

    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:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:11:p:4743-:d:1407458. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.