Marketing logistics and consumer behaviour: an empirical study on Indian e-shoppers

Abstract

The unprecedented growth in e-commerce has brought forward a new paradigm in consumer behaviour and the strategic approach businesses take in reaching and retaining customers. The influence of marketing logistics (ML) on e-shoppers’ behaviour represents a critical facet of this shift. It bridges the gap between customer demand, consumer satisfaction and shapes e-shoppers’ behaviour. Recognising the role and potential of ML can enable e-retailers to effectively plan their operations towards customer satisfaction. The current study aims to examine the causal association between selected ML dimensions and customer satisfaction (CS). Additionally, it also examines the relationship between CS and the post-purchase behaviour of online shoppers. Data were randomly collected from 515 e-shoppers through a structured e-questionnaire and were analyzed using robust PLS-SEM and ANN techniques. The study revealed that except for product availability, all other ML dimensions such as product quality, tracking facility, and delivery speed significantly influence customer satisfaction. Subsequently, it also revealed that online marketers can significantly enhance customer loyalty, re-purchase intentions, and word-of-mouth by boosting customer satisfaction. This study highlights how e-retailers can strategically align their ML ecosystems to bring efficiency and reliability to the end-to-end shopping experience. Additionally, it has the potential to drive the advancement of e-commerce in India.

Keywords

• Customer satisfaction
• loyalty
• marketing logistics
• re-purchase intention
• word of mouth
• Consumer Behaviour