IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i16p8574-d614113.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Does COVID-19 Promote Self-Service Usage among Modern Shoppers? An Exploration of Pandemic-Driven Behavioural Changes in Self-Collection Users

Author

Listed:
  • Xueqin Wang

    (Department of International Logistics, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Korea)

  • Yiik Diew Wong

    (School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore)

  • Kum Fai Yuen

    (School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore)

Abstract

Due to health concerns related to COVID-19, shoppers have learned to minimise social contact by adopting various contactless self-service technologies to fulfil their consumption needs. This study explores shoppers’ behavioural changes in relation to self-service, using the special research context of e-commerce self-collection services. By synthesising insights from the health psychology literature, this study proposes an affective-cognitive-social perspective to explain the pandemic-driven behavioural changes of self-collection users. The survey instrument is used for online data collection ( n = 500), and a combined (descriptive and quantitative) method is adopted for data analysis. Our results suggest that, although with a relatively weak predictive power, the affective and cognitive appraisals of health risks lead to the reinforced usage of self-collection service. This also applies to the factors of action/coping planning and subjective norm. This study theoretically contributes to the self-service literature and creates managerial implications for retailers and logistics operators.

Suggested Citation

  • Xueqin Wang & Yiik Diew Wong & Kum Fai Yuen, 2021. "Does COVID-19 Promote Self-Service Usage among Modern Shoppers? An Exploration of Pandemic-Driven Behavioural Changes in Self-Collection Users," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-22, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:16:p:8574-:d:614113
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/16/8574/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/16/8574/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chen, Cheng & Demir, Emrah & Huang, Yuan & Qiu, Rongzu, 2021. "The adoption of self-driving delivery robots in last mile logistics," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    2. Kumar, Sushant & Shah, Arunima, 2021. "Revisiting food delivery apps during COVID-19 pandemic? Investigating the role of emotions," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    3. Shankar, Venkatesh & Kalyanam, Kirthi & Setia, Pankaj & Golmohammadi, Alireza & Tirunillai, Seshadri & Douglass, Tom & Hennessey, John & Bull, J.S. & Waddoups, Rand, 2021. "How Technology is Changing Retail," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 97(1), pages 13-27.
    4. Yuen, Kum Fai & Wang, Xueqin & Ma, Fei & Wong, Yiik Diew, 2019. "The determinants of customers’ intention to use smart lockers for last-mile deliveries," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 316-326.
    5. Sheth, Jagdish, 2020. "Impact of Covid-19 on consumer behavior: Will the old habits return or die?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 280-283.
    6. Kasilingam, Dharun Lingam, 2020. "Understanding the attitude and intention to use smartphone chatbots for shopping," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    7. Ajzen, Icek, 1991. "The theory of planned behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 179-211, December.
    8. Zimmerling, Amanda & Chen, Xiongbiao, 2021. "Innovation and possible long-term impact driven by COVID-19: Manufacturing, personal protective equipment and digital technologies," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    9. Chen, Ching-Fu & White, Christopher & Hsieh, Yi-En, 2020. "The role of consumer participation readiness in automated parcel station usage intentions," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    10. Tsai, Yao-Te & Tiwasing, Praewwanit, 2021. "Customers’ intention to adopt smart lockers in last-mile delivery service: A multi-theory perspective," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    11. Yuen, Kum Fai & Wang, Xueqin & Ng, Li Ting Wendy & Wong, Yiik Diew, 2018. "An investigation of customers’ intention to use self-collection services for last-mile delivery," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 1-8.
    12. Grewal, Dhruv & Gauri, Dinesh K. & Roggeveen, Anne L. & Sethuraman, Raj, 2021. "Strategizing Retailing in the New Technology Era," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 97(1), pages 6-12.
    13. Collier, Joel E. & Barnes, Donald C., 2015. "Self-service delight: Exploring the hedonic aspects of self-service," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(5), pages 986-993.
    14. Syed Hassan Raza & Umer Zaman & Paulo Ferreira & Pablo Farías, 2021. "An Experimental Evidence on Public Acceptance of Genetically Modified Food through Advertisement Framing on Health and Environmental Benefits, Objective Knowledge, and Risk Reduction," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-24, May.
    15. Xueqin Wang & Yiik Diew Wong & Kum Fai Yuen, 2021. "Rise of ‘Lonely’ Consumers in the Post-COVID-19 Era: A Synthesised Review on Psychological, Commercial and Social Implications," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-22, January.
    16. Brem, Alexander & Viardot, Eric & Nylund, Petra A., 2021. "Implications of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak for innovation: Which technologies will improve our lives?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    17. Lachapelle, Ugo & Burke, Matthew & Brotherton, Aiden & Leung, Abraham, 2018. "Parcel locker systems in a car dominant city: Location, characterisation and potential impacts on city planning and consumer travel access," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 1-14.
    18. Adrian Bartoszek & Dariusz Walkowiak & Agnieszka Bartoszek & Grzegorz Kardas, 2020. "Mental Well-Being (Depression, Loneliness, Insomnia, Daily Life Fatigue) during COVID-19 Related Home-Confinement—A Study from Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-12, October.
    19. Vakulenko, Yulia & Hellström, Daniel & Hjort, Klas, 2018. "What's in the parcel locker? Exploring customer value in e-commerce last mile delivery," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 421-427.
    20. Eléonora Morganti & Laetitia Dablanc & François Fortin, 2014. "Final deliveries for online shopping: the deployment of pickup point networks in urban and suburban areas," Post-Print hal-01067223, HAL.
    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. Alves, Roberta & Pereira, Cecília Aparecida & Lima, Renato da Silva, 2023. "Operational cost analysis for e-commerce deliveries using agent-based modeling and simulation," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    2. Wang, Xueqin & Wong, Yiik Diew & Sun, Shanshan & Yuen, Kum Fai, 2022. "An investigation of self-service technology usage during the COVID-19 pandemic: The changing perceptions of ‘self’ and technologies," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    3. Leung, Abraham & Lachapelle, Ugo & Burke, Matthew, 2023. "Spatio-temporal analysis of Australia Post parcel locker use during the initial system growth phase in Queensland (2013–2017)," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    4. Beckers, Joris & Cardenas, Ivan & Le Pira, Michela & Zhang, Jia, 2023. "Exploring Logistics-as-a-Service to integrate the consumer into urban freight," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).

    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. Wang, Xueqin & Wong, Yiik Diew & Sun, Shanshan & Yuen, Kum Fai, 2022. "An investigation of self-service technology usage during the COVID-19 pandemic: The changing perceptions of ‘self’ and technologies," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    2. Wang, Xueqin & Wong, Yiik Diew & Chen, Tianyi & Yuen, Kum Fai, 2022. "An investigation of technology-dependent shopping in the pandemic era: Integrating response efficacy and identity expressiveness into theory of planned behaviour," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 1053-1067.
    3. Yang, Hye-jeong & Fang, Mingjie & Yao, Jinge & Su, Miao, 2023. "Green cooperation in last-mile logistics and consumer loyalty: An empirical analysis of a theoretical framework," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    4. Milioti, Christina & Pramatari, Katerina & Kelepouri, Ioanna, 2020. "Modelling consumers’ acceptance for the click and collect service," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    5. Lin, Yun Hui & Wang, Yuan & He, Dongdong & Lee, Loo Hay, 2020. "Last-mile delivery: Optimal locker location under multinomial logit choice model," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    6. Leung, Abraham & Lachapelle, Ugo & Burke, Matthew, 2023. "Spatio-temporal analysis of Australia Post parcel locker use during the initial system growth phase in Queensland (2013–2017)," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    7. Gabriele Iannaccone & Edoardo Marcucci & Valerio Gatta, 2021. "What Young E-Consumers Want? Forecasting Parcel Lockers Choice in Rome," Logistics, MDPI, vol. 5(3), pages 1-16, August.
    8. Bartosz Sawik & Adrian Serrano-Hernandez & Alvaro Muro & Javier Faulin, 2022. "Multi-Criteria Simulation-Optimization Analysis of Usage of Automated Parcel Lockers: A Practical Approach," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(23), pages 1-17, November.
    9. John Olsson & Daniel Hellström & Henrik Pålsson, 2019. "Framework of Last Mile Logistics Research: A Systematic Review of the Literature," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-25, December.
    10. Lin, Yunhui & Wang, Yuan & Lee, Loo Hay & Chew, Ek Peng, 2022. "Profit-maximizing parcel locker location problem under threshold Luce model," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    11. Yuen, Kum Fai & Chua, Jie Ying & Li, Xue & Wang, Xueqin, 2023. "The determinants of users’ intention to adopt telehealth: Health belief, perceived value and self-determination perspectives," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    12. Mommens, Koen & Buldeo Rai, Heleen & van Lier, Tom & Macharis, Cathy, 2021. "Delivery to homes or collection points? A sustainability analysis for urban, urbanised and rural areas in Belgium," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    13. Schmidt, Sebastian & Saraceni, Adriana, 2024. "Consumer acceptance of drone-based technology for last mile delivery," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    14. Schaefer, Jaclyn S. & Figliozzi, Miguel A., 2021. "Spatial accessibility and equity analysis of Amazon parcel lockers facilities," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    15. Buldeo Rai, Heleen & Verlinde, Sara & Macharis, Cathy, 2021. "Unlocking the failed delivery problem? Opportunities and challenges for smart locks from a consumer perspective," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    16. Wu, Ruijuan & Li, Peiyu, 2023. "Continuance intention to use self-delivery boxes: An empirical study in Tianjin, China," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    17. Jiang, Yi & Lai, Po-Lin & Yang, Ching-Chiao & Wang, Xinchen, 2023. "Exploring the factors that drive consumers to use contactless delivery services in the context of the continued COVID-19 pandemic," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    18. Ashu Kedia & Diana Kusumastuti & Alan Nicholson, 2019. "Establishing Collection and Delivery Points to Encourage the Use of Active Transport: A Case Study in New Zealand Using a Consumer-Centric Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-23, November.
    19. Björn Asdecker, 2021. "Building the E-Commerce Supply Chain of the Future: What Influences Consumer Acceptance of Alternative Places of Delivery on the Last-Mile," Logistics, MDPI, vol. 5(4), pages 1-17, December.
    20. Schwerdfeger, Stefan & Boysen, Nils, 2020. "Optimizing the changing locations of mobile parcel lockers in last-mile distribution," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 285(3), pages 1077-1094.

    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:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:16:p:8574-:d:614113. 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.