Ir. Dr. YM Tang’s Research Featured on MDPI WeChat: Cold Chain Logistics and Customer Satisfaction in Fresh E-Commerce

We are pleased to share that a research article co-authored by Ir. Dr. Yuk Ming Tang has been featured on MDPI’s official public WeChat channel, reaching a wide audience of scholars and industry practitioners in electronic commerce and logistics.

Featured Article

How Does Cold Chain Logistics Service Quality Affect Customer Satisfaction in Fresh E-Commerce?
(Published in Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, MDPI)

Research Background

With the rapid adoption of mobile internet and smart devices, online purchasing of fresh food has become part of daily life for many consumers—especially following the COVID-19 pandemic. However, fresh products are highly perishable and sensitive to temperature, time, and handling conditions, making cold chain logistics a critical factor shaping customer experience.

Traditional logistics service quality (LSQ) models are largely developed for B2B or general merchandise contexts and are not fully applicable to fresh e-commerce. This study directly addresses that gap by proposing a customer-oriented LSQ evaluation framework tailored specifically to fresh food e-commerce.

Research Focus and Methodology

The study investigates a key research question:
Which dimensions of cold chain logistics service quality most significantly influence customer satisfaction in fresh e-commerce?

To answer this, the research team conducted a systematic empirical study involving:

• Literature review and dimension development, integrating SERVQUAL theory with fresh product logistics characteristics
• Expert evaluation, with logistics professionals reviewing and refining the measurement scale
• Survey-based data collection, yielding 222 valid responses
• Statistical analysis, including exploratory factor analysis and reliability and validity testing

Key Findings

The final logistics service quality model identifies four core dimensions comprising 19 measurement items:

1. Reliability – delivery accuracy, timeliness, and information correctness
2. Freshness – sensory quality and professional handling upon arrival
3. Convenience – flexibility of ordering, delivery time options, and packaging usability
4. Personnel Contact Quality – responsiveness, professionalism, and service attitude

Among these, convenience emerged as the most influential factor affecting customer satisfaction, followed by reliability, freshness, and personnel contact quality. The findings highlight that modern consumers value not only product freshness, but also how conveniently and flexibly products are delivered.

Visibility and Impact

The article’s feature on MDPI’s WeChat platform significantly enhances its visibility among Chinese-speaking academic and industry communities, reinforcing RIVRT’s commitment to impactful, practice-oriented research that bridges theory and real-world application.

We encourage colleagues, partners, and readers to share the WeChat article within their professional networks to further increase its reach and impact.