UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF NUDGES ON GENERATION Z’S SUSTAINABLE DELIVERY CHOICES IN ONLINE GROCERY SHOPPING

Activiteit: Talk or presentation at a conference

Description

The growth of e-commerce has expanded consumer choices, allowing them to compare products online, experience them in-store, and make purchases with fast and free delivery. However, it has also introduced challenges impacting the sustainability of retail operations. Despite consumers typically having the final say in delivery requirements, research often overlooks the impact and potential of consumer behaviour, particularly when it comes to last-mile deliveries.
Prior research analysing methods for persuading consumers to select more pro-sustainable delivery options are limited. Additionally, these studies only test a few different nudging strategies at a time, and only one examines grocery delivery. Furthermore, the used research populations are generally broad and undefined, without specifying demographic characteristics such as age.
To address these research gaps, this paper investigates the sustainability dimension of online grocery delivery, focusing on Generation Z consumers (born between 1995 and 2012). This generation of consumers is particularly interesting for our research purposes because of the relatively greater importance they place on sustainability on the one hand and convenience on the other hand. Drawing upon the SHIFT model—a comprehensive psychological framework encompassing social influence, habit formation, individual self, feeling and cognition, and tangibility —, this study analyses the impact of nine different nudging strategies on the decision-making process of Generation Z consumers in an online grocery setting. Based on the literature and the different factors of the SHIFT model, we formulated nine hypotheses.
We conducted two online surveys in 2023, one to validate unexpected findings from the initial survey. Respondents were presented with various delivery options accompanied by different nudging strategies. The study utilised both non-financial and financial nudges, emphasizing the importance of choice architecture interventions to encourage sustainable behaviours while preserving individual freedom.
Nine experimental groups and one control group were set up as a randomized experimental research design in two online surveys in 2023. Based on descriptive analyses, chi-square tests, and logistic regressions, we elucidated the influence of these strategies on consumers' choice of delivery option.
This research contributes to the growing body of literature on green digital nudges and provides practical implications for e-commerce businesses seeking to promote sustainable behaviours among consumers. By understanding the psychological mechanisms underlying consumer decision-making, companies can tailor their strategies effectively to encourage more environmentally friendly choices in online grocery delivery.
Periode6 nov 20247 nov 2024
EvenementstitelNordic retail and wholesale conference
EvenementstypeConference
LocatieHelsingborg, Sweden
Mate van erkenningInternational