Assessing Consumer Preference for Overpackaging Solutions in E-Commerce.

Guojie Xie,Chrysostomos Apostolidis,Lijuan Huang,Weiwei Cai,Guokai Li,Zuqing Huang

doi:10.3390/ijerph18157951

Abstract

The emergence of e-commerce and express delivery services has significantly transformed business operations and consumer shopping experience. However, the resulting problem of packaging waste, particularly from overpackaging, poses serious challenges to environmental sustainability and human health. Existing research has proposed many solutions from various perspectives, but very few have considered the acceptability and consumer preference for these proposals. Using the value co-creation (VCC) theory, we established a research model to explore consumer preferences for e-commerce overpackaging solutions. A survey of 632 online consumers in Guangzhou and Shenzhen was conducted, and data were analyzed using the SmartPLS software. The results show that establishing a recycling system, government policy, and consumers’ environmental awareness have a significant positive impact on consumer preference, while combined packaging has a significant negative impact. We also found that government policy plays an intermediary role in establishing a recycling system and consumer preference. Based on these findings, we recommend that enterprises establish and improve their packaging recycling systems and that e-commerce platforms provide alternative options to combined packaging. Also, the government should play a guiding and coordinating role for enterprises and consumers, and environmental awareness among consumers should actively be promoted.

Highlights

With the progress of communication technology and increasing ubiquity in mobile smartphone applications, e-commerce has become a crucial channel for consumers to shop online [1]
This study explores consumer preferences for different overpackaging solutions that can affect e-commerce value propositions and the value created for different stakeholders
Our study found that government policy has a significant positive correlation with consumer preference and plays an intermediary role in establishing a recycling system and consumer preference

Summary

Introduction

With the progress of communication technology and increasing ubiquity in mobile smartphone applications, e-commerce has become a crucial channel for consumers to shop online [1]. Consumers have become more supportive of this safe and convenient shopping option [4,5]. Recent data have shown that the development of e-commerce has facilitated the express delivery industry’s prosperity. China’s express delivery volume reached 63 billion pieces in 2019, contributing more than 50% to the growth of global parcel volume [6]. According to the prediction of Joerss et al [7], the express delivery volume in Germany and the United States will double in the decade (till 2025), reaching an annual increase of about 5 billion and 25 billion, respectively. The rapid development of e-commerce has brought added pressure and challenges to environmental protection [1,8]

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Conclusion