On-demand medicine delivery services in Germany

: an empirical analysis of consumer adoption

Abstract

On-demand medicine delivery services are taking the next step toward a new e-pharmacy era and last-mile experience of e-commerce. Despite the fact that researchers and marketers are interested in the topic of on-demand delivery services empirical research on customer behavior in this field is limited. Consequently, this research aims to investigate the relation of consumer perceptions, attitudes, and values in the context of e-pharmacy, especially in on-demand medicine delivery services, and complement previous insights on consumer behavior. Empirical results gained through a mixed-methods study with qualitative expert and consumer interviews and a quantitative study with 194 online study respondents provide an overview, identification, and segmentation of consumers in the medicine purchasing environment. Based on the exploratory empirical findings of this study, researchers and marketers may understand the differentiation between consumer groups and their intentions and behaviors towards online medicine purchases. According to the findings, convenience factors like time-saving, urgency, and desired times of delivery as well as ease of use and the consumers' perception of quick delivery services are significant and important antecedent factors for consumer adoption. Further factors like the desired location of delivery, changes in consumers' life situations, and having friends or family using on-demand delivery services also positively impact adoption. This research presents companies and marketers with various practical and theoretical implications for increasing customers' willingness to adopt on-demand medicine delivery services and supports relevant strategy development through empirically verified insights.

Date of Award	28 Jun 2022
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Miguel Rita (Supervisor)