Value co-creation and customer satisfaction in last-mile delivery services: The roles of digital accessibility and delivery service quality

Despite substantial improvements in speed and coverage, customer satisfaction with last-mile delivery remains inconsistent, particularly in complex urban environments where rising consumer expectations, traffic congestion, and operational pressures create persistent challenges. This study investigates the influence of customer value co-creation behaviors, customer participation behaviors (CPB), and customer citizenship behaviors (CCB), on customer satisfaction (CS), examining the mediating role of delivery service quality (DSQ) dimensions and the moderating role of digital accessibility (DA). Data were collected from 426 urban consumers in China, exceeding the minimum sample required by Cochran’s formula. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test direct, mediating, and moderating effects. Findings reveal that CPB directly enhances satisfaction, whereas CCB primarily affects satisfaction indirectly through operational, customization, and personal contact quality. Digital accessibility strengthens the effects of CPB and CCB on DSQ but has a limited direct influence on satisfaction. The study’s novelty lies in simultaneously examining participation and citizenship behaviors, multi-dimensional service quality, and digital accessibility in the context of urban last-mile delivery, a combination not previously explored. Practically, the findings provide actionable guidance for logistics firms to integrate customer engagement strategies with accessible digital platforms to optimize service quality and enhance satisfaction.