Reverse Logistics and Customer-Perceived Value: The Mediating Effect of After-Sales Service Quality in Electronic Retail Sector, Sri Lanka

Abstract

This study examines the impact of effective reverse logistics (RL) practices on Customer Perceived Value (CPV) in Sri Lanka’s electronics retail sector, with particular attention to the mediating role of after-sales service quality (ASSQ). Although RL has been widely examined from operational and sustainability perspectives, empirical evidence on its customer value implications, especially in emerging markets, remains limited and fragmented. Adopting a positivist and deductive approach, the study employs a quantitative survey of 450 customers who have experienced product returns, repairs, or replacements. Data are analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that effective RL practices have a significant positive effect on CPV and that this relationship is partially mediated by ASSQ. The results further demonstrate that customer value creation depends not only on the efficiency of RL processes but also on the quality-of-service interactions during the post-purchase phase. The study contributes by empirically validating an integrated Reverse Logistics – After-Sales Service Quality – Customer Perceived Value model in an emerging-market context and offers practical insights for electronics retailers seeking to enhance customer value through coordinated logistics and service strategies.