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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Logistics Service Quality and Technology Investment in Retailing

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description

The quality of physical distribution could be a source of differentiation and, consequently, provide a competitive advantage for the retailer. There is no consensus in the literature, however, on the components of logistics service quality, nor on the role of the retailer's investment in technology. In this context, the present paper aims at evaluating the major components of logistics service quality and technological investment, as well as analysing their impact on the results achieved by the store in terms of satisfaction and customer loyalty in different retailing sectors. As a result, we conclude that there is a need for the retailer to plan investment in technology applied to logistics in order to achieve high levels of logistics service quality through reliability and empathy, as well as customer satisfaction and loyalty. There are, however, significant differences in the importance of these variables across retail sectors.