Fresh food online shopping repurchase intention: the role of post-purchase customer experience and corporate image

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate consumers' post-purchase experience when buying fresh food online. It examines the key dimensions of post-purchase online customer experience (post-purchase OCE) that impact customer satisfaction and repurchase intention. It also explores the role of corporate image as a moderator. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was conducted in China to capture participants' post-purchase OCE, satisfaction, repurchase intention and perceived corporate image. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was utilized to analyse data collected from 317 Chinese fresh food online shoppers. Moderated mediation analysis was conducted to analyse the moderating effect of corporate image. Findings Four post-purchase OCE dimensions "product-in-hand", "customer support", "benefits" and "packaging" significantly drive customers' repurchase intention by enhancing customer satisfaction. "Delivery" is not influential. Additionally, for firms with a good corporate image, customer repurchase intention is more easily affected by post-purchase OCE than firms with a lower level of corporate image. Practical implications The findings inform fresh food e-commerce firms of the critical post-purchase OCE dimensions that mostly drive customer satisfaction and help retain customers. Furthermore, it implies that firms with a good corporate image must provide high-quality post-purchase OCE that matches the image because the consequences associated with a poor post-purchase OCE can be severe. Originality/value This research is among the first to investigate fresh food post-purchase OCE. It also introduces the previously underexplored moderating role of corporate image.