Speak to couriers: different message receivers on parcel affect repurchase intention

Purpose This study aims to explore how the recipient of messages on delivery parcels influences consumer repurchase intentions. It investigates whether addressing messages to delivery personnel, rather than to consumers, enhances perceived effort and encourages loyalty. Design/methodology/approach Four online experiments were conducted across different scenarios, including e-commerce and food delivery. The experiments manipulated the message recipient to examine its impact on consumer behavior. Findings Results indicate that parcels with messages directed at delivery personnel significantly increase repurchase intentions compared to messages aimed at consumers. Two boundary conditions were identified: (1) the positive effect disappears when the message is printed directly on the parcel rather than on a separate tag, and (2) combining a message for delivery personnel with a request for a five-star rating nullifies the positive impact. Research limitations/implications The findings reveal a potential opportunity for brand messages directed at third parties to signal greater effort, enhancing consumer repurchase intentions. Practical implications Businesses can enhance customer loyalty by carefully framing logistics-related messages to emphasize merchant effort. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine how logistics messages targeted at intermediaries, rather than consumers, can foster increased repurchase intentions, expanding the understanding of communication’s role in logistical processes.