Green in a Hurry? The Sustainability–Value Paradox in Customers’ Cognitive Evaluation of Quick Commerce Platforms
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Purpose: Quick commerce platforms promise daily essentials within minutes, yet their packaging-intensive, last-mile-heavy model raises doubts about how sustainable they really are. This study examines how customers’ perceptions of a platform’s Sustainable Finance Orientation (SFO) shape their Customer Cognitive Evaluation (CCE) of the platform, with Customer Perceived Value (CPV) as a mediator and Environmental Concern (EC) as a moderator. Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional survey of 390 quick commerce users in Bengaluru, India, was analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS 4 with bootstrapping. Findings: SFO significantly enhances CPV (β = 0.253, p < .001). Contrary to expectations, both CPV (β = −0.411, p < .001) and SFO (β = −0.090, p = .035) are negatively related to CCE, and CPV carries a significant negative indirect effect of SFO on CCE (β = −0.104, p < .001), yielding a negative total effect (β = −0.195). EC improves CCE directly (β = 0.158, p < .001) but does not moderate the SFO–CCE relationship. Originality/value: The study uncovers a sustainability–value paradox in ultra-fast retail: customers credit green initiatives with added value, yet judge the platform more critically. Sustainability orientation earns favourable evaluations only when it is credible, verifiable and visibly tied to customer benefits.
DOI: 10.64388/ire1724856
Author: Nagamani C G
Language: English
Subfield: Marketing
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7225347619