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Marketplace, wholesale or hybrid: considering the role of blockchain implementation in countering consumer mistrust

Author

Listed:
  • Deqing Ma

    (Qingdao University, School of Business)

  • Wenbo Shao

    (Qingdao University, School of Business)

  • Kaiyue Zhang

    (Qingdao University, School of Business)

  • Jinsong Hu

    (Qingdao University, School of Business)

Abstract

Frequent exposure of fraud in online retailing has created consumer distrust in platforms and constrained the sustainability platform-based supply chains. We consider the role of blockchain in countering consumer mistrust and explore its impact on the platform sales modes selection (marketplace, wholesale, and hybrid) in a platform-based supply chain. Six game theoretic models where the platform takes three different sales modes (wholesale, marketplace, or hybrid) without and with blockchain adoption are developed. Intuition suggests that consumer mistrust reduces profits for the manufacturer and the platform. Counter-intuitively, there is little impact on the selection of platform sales modes. Moreover, as with previous studies where blockchain was not implemented, the manufacturer and the platform make an agreement on the wholesale (hybrid) mode when the commission rate and service effort are lower (higher) after implementing blockchain. The difference is that as the blockchain cost increases, the hybrid mode will no longer be selected.

Suggested Citation

  • Deqing Ma & Wenbo Shao & Kaiyue Zhang & Jinsong Hu, 2026. "Marketplace, wholesale or hybrid: considering the role of blockchain implementation in countering consumer mistrust," Electronic Commerce Research, Springer, vol. 26(2), pages 1309-1345, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:elcore:v:26:y:2026:i:2:d:10.1007_s10660-024-09941-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s10660-024-09941-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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