Understanding customers' adoption of express delivery service for last-mile delivery in the UK

Abstract

ABSTRACT With the surge in online purchases, customers' requirement for last-mile delivery also increases. This study focuses on the express delivery service, the primary channel in last-mile delivery, to discover the factors influence customers' use. Based on the extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, a conceptual model is proposed to structure the hypothetical effects between the constructs performance expectancy in delivery speed and delivery reliability, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions and behavioural intention. A 5-year (2015–2019) longitudinal survey was conducted in the UK, and 3964 responses were collected to validate the model. The results indicate that the performance expectancy in delivery reliability has a positive impact on customers' behaviour intention to adopt an express delivery service, while the performance expectancy in delivery speed, unexpectedly, shows insignificant impact. Moreover, the effort expectancy was found to have no effect on behaviour intention; however, the facilitating conditions have a negative influence.