Effect of Logistics Service Quality on Customer Loyalty in the Nigerian E-Commerce Sector: A Mediated Model

This study develops and tests a mediated model examining the effect of logistics service quality on customer loyalty in the Nigerian e-commerce sector, with customer satisfaction proposed as the mediating variable. The e-commerce logistics experience, encompassing delivery speed, item condition, return ease, and communication quality, has been identified in recent literature as a primary determinant of consumer retention in digital retail markets. Nigeria's growing e-commerce sector, concentrated in Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, provides a relevant empirical context where competitive logistics differentiation is intensifying. Using a quantitative design, structured questionnaires were administered to 300 online shoppers across Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt who had made purchases from at least three different e-commerce platforms in the past year. Logistics service quality is operationalised through a six-dimension scale including timeliness, safety, accuracy, information quality, responsiveness, and convenience. Customer satisfaction is measured with a validated composite scale. Loyalty is assessed through repurchase intention, platform preference strength, and net promoter score. Structural equation modelling with bootstrapped mediation analysis is employed. The study draws on service quality theory and recent e-commerce logistics literature. Findings are expected to confirm full mediation in certain service quality dimensions, particularly delivery safety and information quality, providing theoretically grounded guidance for platform logistics investment prioritisation. Recommendations address e-commerce platform operators, logistics service providers, and digital retail investors in Nigeria on designing loyalty-enhancing logistics service systems. Keywords: logistics service quality, customer loyalty, e-commerce, customer satisfaction, Nigeria.