{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,17]],"date-time":"2026-04-17T13:50:24Z","timestamp":1776433824241,"version":"3.51.2"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,11]],"date-time":"2023-03-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1678492800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Ministry of Education and Science in Poland","award":["015\/RID\/2018\/19"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["015\/RID\/2018\/19"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JTAER"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural e-customers\u2019 preferences in terms of last mile delivery and products purchased via the Internet. This paper is based on the theory of last mile delivery (with a strong focus on the methods of delivery) and customers\u2019 preferences. It combines both theories to fulfil the paper\u2019s goal. In the paper, the literature review and multivariate data analysis of rural e-customers in Poland were used. The hypothesis states that there is a requirement for different last mile delivery solutions in rural areas than in urban areas in Poland. The research was carried out on a sample of 1071 adult Poles, who are residents of rural areas, using the standardized and structured computer-assisted interview (CAWI). The authors used the chi-square independence test, the Student t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), regression models, and logistic models. The research shows that more than 60% of respondents living in rural areas order goods purchased online with a home delivery method and that online shopping preferences\u2019 changes are not so significant after the occurrence of COVID-19. Both before and after the pandemic, rural e-customers made online purchases most often 2\u20133 times a month. Nevertheless, some differences in the preferences of rural e-customers in terms of last mile delivery and purchasing preference can be seen considering their age, gender, or family size. The survey found that smaller families were more likely to choose free home delivery with a free return after the pandemic. The research presented in this paper provides essential information for courier companies, stores, and online platforms alike. Knowledge of preferences and their changes after the occurrence of COVID-19 can support the reorganization of last mile delivery to meet the needs of e-customers and to adapt to the increasing demands for sustainable transportation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jtaer18010030","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,13]],"date-time":"2023-03-13T06:52:13Z","timestamp":1678690333000},"page":"597-614","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":16,"title":["Rural E-Customers\u2019 Preferences for Last Mile Delivery and Products Purchased via the Internet before and after the COVID-19 Pandemic"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4879-0112","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ma\u0142gorzata","family":"Markowska","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Regional Economy, Wroclaw University of Economics and Business, Komandorska 118\/120, 53-345 Wroclaw, Poland"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6076-1552","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jakub","family":"Marcinkowski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Strategic Management and Logistics, Wroclaw University of Economics and Business, Komandorska 118\/120, 53-345 Wroclaw, Poland"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0491-7401","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maja","family":"Kiba-Janiak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Strategic Management and Logistics, Wroclaw University of Economics and Business, Komandorska 118\/120, 53-345 Wroclaw, Poland"}]},{"given":"Danuta","family":"Strahl","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Management, WSB University, Cieplaka 1C, 41-300 Dabrowa Gornicza, Poland"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Chevalier, S. (2021). Development of E-Commerce Shares Pre and Post COVID-19, Statista."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6154","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sbspro.2010.04.027","article-title":"GHG Emissions of Supply Chains from Different Retail Systems in Europe","volume":"2","author":"Rizet","year":"2010","journal-title":"Procedia\u2014Soc. Behav. Sci."},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"Tighe, D. (2022). E-Commerce Increase Due to COVID-19 in Europe 2020\u20132021, Statista."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"44","DOI":"10.15240\/tul\/004\/2022-2-004","article-title":"Sustainable City Logistics of Last-Mile Delivery and Returns on the E-Commerce Market. Various Groups of Stakeholders\u2019 Perspectives\u2014Aims and Scope of the Project","volume":"28","author":"Cheba","year":"2022","journal-title":"ACC J."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102984","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scs.2021.102984","article-title":"Sustainable Last Mile Delivery on E-Commerce Market in Cities from the Perspective of Various Stakeholders. Literature Review","volume":"71","author":"Marcinkowski","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sustain. Cities Soc."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gatta, V., Marcucci, E., Nigro, M., Patella, S.M., and Serafini, S. (2019). Public Transport-Based Crowdshipping for Sustainable City Logistics: Assessing Economic and Environmental Impacts. Sustainability, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/su11010145"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100827","DOI":"10.1016\/j.retrec.2020.100827","article-title":"A Modelling Framework to Forecast Urban Goods Flows","volume":"80","author":"Comi","year":"2020","journal-title":"Res. Transp. Econ."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"644","DOI":"10.1016\/j.trpro.2016.02.018","article-title":"Analysis of Parcel Lockers\u2019 Efficiency as the Last Mile Delivery Solution\u2014The Results of the Research in Poland","volume":"12","author":"Iwan","year":"2016","journal-title":"Transp. Res. Procedia"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"325","DOI":"10.1016\/j.trd.2017.07.020","article-title":"Understanding the Impact of E-Commerce on Last-Mile Light Goods Vehicle Activity in Urban Areas: The Case of London","volume":"61","author":"Allen","year":"2018","journal-title":"Transp. Res. D Transp. Env."},{"key":"ref_10","first-page":"100805","article-title":"E-Groceries: Sustainable Last Mile Distribution in City Planning","volume":"87","author":"Bjerkan","year":"2019","journal-title":"Res. Transp. Econ."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Markowska, M., and Marcinkowski, J. (2022). Rural E-Customers\u2019 Preferences for Last Mile Delivery: Evidence from Poland. Energies, 15.","DOI":"10.3390\/en15228351"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gundu, T. (2020, January 25\u201327). Smart Locker System Acceptance for Rural Last-Mile Delivery. Proceedings of the 2020 2nd International Multidisciplinary Information Technology and Engineering Conference, IMITEC, Virtual.","DOI":"10.1109\/IMITEC50163.2020.9334107"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Jiang, X., Wang, H., Guo, X., and Gong, X. (2019). Using the FAHP, ISM, and MICMAC Approaches to Study the Sustainability Influencing Factors of the Last Mile Delivery of Rural e-Commerce Logistics. Sustainability, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/su11143937"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"351","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bushor.2020.01.007","article-title":"How to Serve Online Consumers in Rural Markets: Evidence-Based Recommendations","volume":"63","author":"Sousa","year":"2020","journal-title":"Bus. Horiz."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"213","DOI":"10.1108\/IJPDLM-03-2020-0072","article-title":"Parcel Lockers vs. Home Delivery: A Model to Compare Last-Mile Delivery Cost in Urban and Rural Areas","volume":"52","author":"Seghezzi","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int. J. Phys. Distrib. Logist. Manag."},{"key":"ref_16","unstructured":"Morze, M. (2022). Rural Areas in Poland in 2020."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"178","DOI":"10.1016\/j.trpro.2014.11.014","article-title":"The Impact of E-Commerce on Final Deliveries: Alternative Parcel Delivery Services in France and Germany","volume":"4","author":"Morganti","year":"2014","journal-title":"Transp. Res. Procedia"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Abyre, A., Jibraili, Z., and Anouar, H. (2021). COVID-19: Performance of E-Commerce in Morocco, Springer.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-66840-2_97"},{"key":"ref_19","first-page":"100165","article-title":"The Impact of COVID-19 on Transport Volume and Freight Capacity Dynamics: An Empirical Analysis in German Food Retail Logistics","volume":"6","author":"Loske","year":"2020","journal-title":"Transp. Res. Interdiscip. Perspect."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1159","DOI":"10.1007\/s10479-020-03685-7","article-title":"Impacts of Epidemic Outbreaks on Supply Chains: Mapping a Research Agenda amid the COVID-19 Pandemic through a Structured Literature Review","volume":"319","author":"Queiroz","year":"2020","journal-title":"Ann. Oper. Res."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1411","DOI":"10.1007\/s10479-020-03640-6","article-title":"Viable Supply Chain Model: Integrating Agility, Resilience and Sustainability Perspectives\u2014Lessons from and Thinking beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic","volume":"319","author":"Ivanov","year":"2020","journal-title":"Ann. Oper. Res."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101961","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tre.2020.101961","article-title":"Innovative \u201cBring-Service-Near-Your-Home\u201d Operations under Corona-Virus (COVID-19\/SARS-CoV-2) Outbreak: Can Logistics Become the Messiah?","volume":"140","author":"Choi","year":"2020","journal-title":"Transp. Res. E Logist. Transp. Rev."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103677","DOI":"10.1016\/j.trc.2022.103677","article-title":"Crowdshipping: An Open VRP Variant with Stochastic Destinations","volume":"140","author":"Torres","year":"2022","journal-title":"Transp. Res. Part. C Emerg. Technol."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Villa, R., and Monz\u00f3n, A. (2021). Mobility Restrictions and E-Commerce: Holistic Balance in Madrid Centre during COVID-19 Lockdown. Economies, 9.","DOI":"10.3390\/economies9020057"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Tsai, K.-M., Golinska-Dawson, P., and Kosacka-Olejnik, M. (2020). Smart and Sustainable Supply Chain and Logistics\u2014Trends, Challenges, Methods and Best Practices, Springer.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-61947-3"},{"key":"ref_26","first-page":"30","article-title":"Home Delivery: A Framework For Structuring","volume":"11","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. J. Traffic Transp. Eng."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103095","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jtrangeo.2021.103095","article-title":"Delivery to Homes or Collection Points? A Sustainability Analysis for Urban, Urbanised and Rural Areas in Belgium","volume":"94","author":"Mommens","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Transp. Geogr."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Prandtstetter, M., Seragiotto, C., Braith, J., Eitler, S., Ennser, B., Hauger, G., Hohenecker, N., Schodl, R., and Steinbauer, M. (2021). On the Impact of Open Parcel Lockers on Traffic. Sustainability, 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/su13020755"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1085","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejor.2018.05.058","article-title":"Scheduling Last-Mile Deliveries with Truck-Based Autonomous Robots","volume":"271","author":"Boysen","year":"2018","journal-title":"Eur. J. Oper. Res."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"430","DOI":"10.1108\/JSM-05-2017-0158","article-title":"Measuring Customers Benefits of Click and Collect","volume":"32","author":"Jara","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Serv. Mark."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"107746","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijpe.2020.107746","article-title":"Sustainability Assessment of Last-Mile Logistics and Distribution Strategies: The Case of Local Food Networks","volume":"228","author":"Melkonyan","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int. J. Prod. Econ."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"901","DOI":"10.1108\/IJPDLM-02-2019-0048","article-title":"Innovative Solutions to Increase Last-Mile Delivery Efficiency in B2C e-Commerce: A Literature Review","volume":"49","author":"Mangiaracina","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int. J. Phys. Distrib. Logist. Manag."},{"key":"ref_33","first-page":"100339","article-title":"Moving towards \u201cMobile Warehouse\u201d: Last-Mile Logistics during COVID-19 and Beyond","volume":"10","author":"Marathe","year":"2021","journal-title":"Transp. Res. Interdiscip. Perspect."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Su\u0142kowski, \u0141., Kolasi\u0144ska-Morawska, K., Brzozowska, M., Morawski, P., and Schroeder, T. (2022). Last Mile Logistics Innovations in the Courier-Express-Parcel Sector Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Sustainability, 14.","DOI":"10.3390\/su14138207"},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102600","DOI":"10.1016\/j.trd.2020.102600","article-title":"Evaluating Public Acceptance of Autonomous Delivery Robots during COVID-19 Pandemic","volume":"89","author":"Pani","year":"2020","journal-title":"Transp. Res. D Transp. Environ."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1246","DOI":"10.1108\/IJLM-02-2021-0094","article-title":"Artificial Intelligence for Supply Chain Resilience: Learning from COVID-19","volume":"33","author":"Modgil","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int. J. Logist. Manag."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102214","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tre.2020.102214","article-title":"The Adoption of Self-Driving Delivery Robots in Last Mile Logistics","volume":"146","author":"Chen","year":"2021","journal-title":"Transp. Res. E Logist. Transp. Rev."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"146050","DOI":"10.1109\/ACCESS.2021.3121607","article-title":"Evaluating Sustainable Last-Mile Delivery (LMD) in B2C E-Commerce Using Two-Stage Fuzzy MCDM Approach: A Case Study from Vietnam","volume":"9","author":"Wang","year":"2021","journal-title":"IEEE Access"},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101096","DOI":"10.1016\/j.retrec.2021.101096","article-title":"Grocery or @grocery: A Stated Preference Investigation in Rome and Milan","volume":"87","author":"Maltese","year":"2021","journal-title":"Res. Transp. Econ."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"703","DOI":"10.37394\/23207.2021.18.69","article-title":"Construction and Application of Customer Satisfaction Model with TheService Quality of Last-Mile Delivery in Rural Areas","volume":"18","author":"Cho","year":"2021","journal-title":"WSEAS Trans. Bus. Econ."},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"941","DOI":"10.1016\/j.geoforum.2006.12.012","article-title":"Grounding the Virtual: The Material Effects of Electronic Grocery Shopping","volume":"38","author":"Murphy","year":"2007","journal-title":"Geoforum"},{"key":"ref_42","unstructured":"Liu, X., Zhang, S., Lin, Y., and Xie, Y. (2016, January 4\u20138). Enhancing the Health and Sustainability of E-Commerce Ecosystem by Bringing Manufacturers Online: Evidence from Tao-Factory. Proceedings of the of PICMET \u201916: Technology Management for Social Innovation, Honolulu, HI, USA."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Delgado-de Miguel, J.-F., Buil-L\u00f3pez Menchero, T., Esteban-Navarro, M.-\u00c1., and Garc\u00eda-Madurga, M.-\u00c1. (2019). Proximity Trade and Urban Sustainability: Small Retailers\u2019 Expectations Towards Local Online Marketplaces. Sustainability, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/su11247199"},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"310","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cstp.2019.02.002","article-title":"City Logistics in an Omnichannel Environment. The Case of Brussels","volume":"7","author":"Verlinde","year":"2019","journal-title":"Case Stud. Transp. Policy"},{"key":"ref_45","unstructured":"United Nations (2015). Agenda for Sustainable Development, United Nations."}],"container-title":["Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/0718-1876\/18\/1\/30\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T18:52:57Z","timestamp":1760122377000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/0718-1876\/18\/1\/30"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,11]]},"references-count":45,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,3]]}},"alternative-id":["jtaer18010030"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/jtaer18010030","relation":{},"ISSN":["0718-1876"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0718-1876","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,11]]}}}