Abstract
Online grocery shopping has increased due to the convenience it offers; however,
consumers from different generational cohorts hold different expectations, shaping their
perceptions of e-service (e-SQ) quality.
Aim: This study investigates how e-SQ perceptions differ between Generation X and Y within
the South African grocery industry.
Setting: The study was conducted in the South African grocery retail sector, with data collected
online from consumers across the country.
Method: A quantitative study was executed, resulting in 622 respondents. SmartPLS 4.0 was
used to evaluate the measurement and structural models.
Results: Perceived risk had a significant negative impact on e-SQ for both cohorts, suggesting
that this does not differ according to age. Platform content, ease of use, and service convenience
all have significant positive effects on e-SQ for both cohorts. Service convenience was the
strongest predictor of e-SQ for Generation X, while platform content was the strongest
predictor for Generation Y.
Conclusion: Both cohorts value similar factors. Generation Y regards platform content, ease of
use, and service convenience as important, while Generation X views service convenience,
ease of use, and then platform content as important factors. These key differences allow online
grocery retailers to ensure their platforms are designed to ensure the highest e-SQ levels,
depending on the cohort they target.
Contribution: This study highlights specific differences between generational cohorts and
whether differences in their e-SQ exist. Thus, online grocery retailers have the opportunity to
develop tailored marketing strategies focusing on different factors (e.g., platform content, ease
of use, and service convenience for Generation Y and service convenience, ease of use, and
platform content for Generation X) to improve the e-SQ perceptions.