Submit your papersSubmit Now
For Enquiries: [email protected]
IIARD LogoIIARD

Logistics Gastronomy Strategy and Last-Mile Delivery of Food Vendors in Rivers State

Osadjere, Lesi Elizabeth, Jekey Lekue, PhD

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between logistics gastronomy strategy and last-mile delivery of food vendors in Rivers State. Specifically, the study investigated the relationship between inventory management, order management systems, packaging logistics, and last-mile delivery among registered food vendors and restaurants in Rivers State. The study was anchored on the Resource-Based View Theory and adopted a cross-sectional survey research design. The population of the study comprised 145 registered food vendors and restaurants in Rivers State, from which a sample size of 105 respondents was determined using the Krejcie and Morgan sample size determination formula. Purposive sampling technique was employed in selecting respondents relevant to the study phenomenon. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire measured on a 5-point Likert scale using the drop-and-pick later method. Reliability of the instrument was confirmed using Cronbach’s Alpha coefficients ranging from 0.71 to 0.75. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient at a 0.01 level of significance. Out of 105 copies of questionnaire distributed, 98 were found usable for analysis, representing a 90.74% usable response rate. The findings revealed that inventory management has a significant positive relationship with last-mile delivery among food vendors in Rivers State. The study further established that order management systems significantly and positively influence last-mile delivery, while packaging logistics exhibited the strongest positive relationship with last-mile delivery. The study concluded that effective logistics gastronomy strategies significantly improve delivery efficiency, customer satisfaction, and operational reliability among food vendors. The study therefore recommended improved inventory monitoring systems, structured digital order management practices, and adoption of durable and delivery-friendly packaging systems to enhance food delivery performance in Rivers State.

Keywords

Logistics Gastronomy Strategy; Inventory Management; Packaging Logistics; Last- Mile Delivery.

References

Adebanjo, O., & Oke, A. (2021). Inventory management and food waste reduction in restaurant supply chains. Journal of Operations and Supply Chain Management, 14(1), 45–61. Adegoke, T., & Anyanwu, C. (2022). Inventory management challenges and customer satisfaction among SMEs in Port Harcourt. African Journal of Business Management, 16(3), 88–102. Adeleke, R., & Aminu, S. (2022). Digital order management systems and e-commerce growth in Nigeria: Opportunities and constraints. Nigerian Journal of Business and Economics, 10(1), 55–74. Afolabi, B. (2020). Perishable inventory management in food vending operations. Journal of Food Supply Chain Management, 5(2), 18–30. Akkermans, H., & Van Wassenhove, L. N. (2018). Supply chain management: A complex adaptive systems perspective. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 38(10), 2154–2174. Ali, M., Asif, M., & Hassan, F. (2012). Inventory management and its effects on customer satisfaction. Oeconomics of Knowledge, 4(3), 11–22. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254410703_Inventory_Management_and_Its_E ffects_on_Customer_Satisfaction Barney, J. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99–120. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639101700108 Boysen, N., Fedtke, S., & Schwerdfeger, S. (2019). Last-mile delivery concepts: A survey from an operational research perspective. OR Spectrum, 41(4), 879–904. Chopra, S., & Meindl, P. (2019). Supply chain management: Strategy, planning, and operation. Pearson. Christopher, M. (2016). Logistics & supply chain management (5th ed.). Pearson. Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications. De Silva, A. (2025). Impact of inventory management on customer satisfaction of retail stores in Bur Dubai and Al Nahda areas of Dubai. IOSR Journal of Economics and Finance, 16(1, Ser. 6), 11–19. Denscombe, M. (1998). The good research guide: For small-scale social research projects. Open University Press. Egereonu, U. C. (2024). Digital order management systems for service efficiency in food service operations. International Journal of Computer Science and Engineering, 12(4), 1–15. Esper, T. L., Jensen, T. D., Turnipseed, F. L., & Burton, S. (2003). The last mile: An examination of effects of online retail delivery strategies. Journal of Business Logistics, 24(2), 177– 203. Fikar, C. (2018). Decision support for last-mile distribution in disaster relief. Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, 116, 1–17. Fikar, C., Gronalt, M., & Hirsch, P. (2016). A decision support system to investigate food delivery operations. Central European Journal of Operations Research, 24(2), 441–469. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10100-014-0364-0 Ganguly, K. K. (2025). Linking packaging to the performance of quick service restaurants: How on time delivery by the packaging suppliers influences customer satisfaction and performance. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/1528008X.2025.2539873 García-Arca, J., Prado-Prado, J. C., & Garrido, A. T. G.-P. (2015). Drivers and stages in packaging logistics: An analysis in the food sector. In Lecture Notes in Engineering and Computer Science (pp. 51–59). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14078-0_6 Gebresenbet, G., & Bosona, T. (2012). Logistics and supply chains in agriculture and food. In Pathways to supply chain excellence. InTech. Gevaers, R., Van de Voorde, E., & Vanelslander, T. (2011). Characteristics and typology of last- mile logistics from an innovation perspective in an urban context. In C. Macharis & S. Melo (Eds.), City distribution and urban freight transport: Multiple perspectives (pp. 56– 71). Edward Elgar. Hellström, D., & Saghir, M. (2007). Packaging and logistics interactions in retail supply chains. Packaging Technology and Science, 20(3), 197–216. https://doi.org/10.1002/pts.754 Hübner, A., Holzapfel, A., & Kuhn, H. (2016). Distribution systems in omni-channel retailing. Business Research, 9(2), 255–296. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40685-016-0034-7 Hübner, A., Kuhn, H., & Wollenburg, J. (2016). Last mile fulfilment and distribution in omni- channel grocery retailing: A strategic planning framework. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 44(3), 228–247. Igilar, C. (2023). Analysis of perishable goods transportation. European Journal of Business and Innovation Research, 11(7), 35–72. Irving, J. (2005). Statistics for the behavioural sciences. Pearson Education. Kraaijenbrink, J., Spender, J.-C., & Groen, A. J. (2010). The resource-based view: A review and assessment of its critiques. Journal of Management, 36(1), 349–372. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206309350775 Krejcie, R. V., & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 30(3), 607–610. Klevås, J. (2005). Packaging logistics in supply chain management. Packaging Technology and Science, 18(4), 197–207. Kraus, S., Clauss, T., Breier, M., Gast, J., Zardini, A., & Tiberius, V. (2020). The economics of COVID-19: Initial empirical evidence for 10 economies. Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 14, Article e00143. Laudon, K. C., & Traver, C. G. (2020). E-commerce: Business, technology, society. Pearson. Nunnally, J. C., & Bernstein, J. H. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill. Ogan, H. I., Akani, G. H., & Okere, B. U. (2024). Lean inventory system and supply chain performance of food and beverage firms in Rivers State. International Journal of Economics and Business Management, 10(1), 192–211. https://doi.org/10.56201/ijebm.v10.no1.2024.pg192.211 Okeke, C., & Ezenwa, I. (2021). Digital order management adoption and customer service outcomes in Nigerian food retail. Journal of African Commerce and Logistics, 7(2), 44– 59. Okonkwo, D., & Chima, E. (2022). Logistics gastronomy challenges in developing economies: The Nigerian perspective. West African Journal of Supply Chain Management, 4(1), 10– 23. Okorie, O., Subramoniam, R., & Chukwu, E. (2021). E-commerce logistics in Nigeria: A review of last-mile delivery challenges. Journal of Transport and Supply Chain Management, 15(1), 1–12. O'Reilly, S., & Haines, M. (2018). Food logistics and gastronomy: Designing systems for quality and efficiency. International Journal of Food Science and Logistics, 3(1), 12–28. Peteraf, M. A. (1993). The cornerstones of competitive advantage: A resource‐based view. Strategic Management Journal, 14(3), 179–191. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.4250140303 Popa, V. (2022). Role and importance of packaging in supply chain management. Supply Chain Management Journal. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361411881 Priem, R. L., & Butler, J. E. (2001). Is the resource-based “view” a useful perspective for strategic management research? Academy of Management Review, 26(1), 22–40. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2001.4011928 Pullman, M. E., Fenske, R., & Wakeland, W. (2010). Food delivery footprint: Addressing transportation, packaging, and waste in the food supply chain (OTREC-RR-10-06). Transportation Research and Education Center. http://dx.doi.org/10.15760/trec.129 Ramanathan, R. (2011). An empirical analysis on the impact of risk on customer loyalty in electronic commerce. International Journal of Services and Operations Management, 9(2), 183–201. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJSOM.2011.040707 Ramanathan, U., Subramanian, N., Yu, W., & Vijaygopal, R. (2017). Impact of customer loyalty and service operations on customer behaviour and firm performance: Empirical evidence from UK retail sector. Production Planning & Control, 28(6–8), 478–488. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537287.2017.1309707 Ranieri, L., Digiesi, S., Silvestri, B., & Roccotelli, M. (2018). A review of last-mile logistics innovations in an externalities cost reduction vision. Sustainability, 10(3), Article 782. Rivers State Ministry of Commerce and Industry. (2024). Directory of registered food vendors and restaurants in Rivers State. Government Press. Savelsbergh, M., & Van Woensel, T. (2016). 50th anniversary invited article — City logistics: Challenges and opportunities. Transportation Science, 50(2), 579–590. Sharma, R., & Bhatia, N. (2021). Inventory control systems and their role in supply chain performance. International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications, 24(3), 211– 228. Sharda, R., Delen, D., & Turban, E. (2020). Analytics, data science, and artificial intelligence: Systems for decision support. Pearson. Silva, N., & Nilsson, F. (2024). Enabling competitiveness in home-delivery through sustainable packaging logistics. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 53(13), 75–89. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-09-2024-0441 Stevenson, W. J. (2020). Operations management (14th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education. Trochim, W. M. K. (2006). Research methods knowledge base (2nd ed.). Atomic Dog Publishing. Waters, D. (2019). Inventory control and management (3rd ed.). Wiley. Weerasekara, U. S. (2021). Online restaurant management and food ordering system for ORMFOS [Unpublished manuscript]. University of Colombo School of Computing. https://dl.ucsc.cmb.ac.lk/jspui/handle/123456789/4289 Wernerfelt, B. (1984). A resource‐based view of the firm. Strategic Management Journal, 5(2), 171–180. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.4250050207 Zanin, L. M., Stedefeldt, E., Cunha, D. T., & Rosso, V. V. (2021). Integrating logistics and gastronomy: Challenges and frameworks for the food delivery industry. International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, 24, Article 100112.

More Articles from INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION STUDIES

Clickbait Strategies and Influence on Consumer Trust and Behavior

Author: Alaba Tobin-West Diamond, Stella. C. Enyindah PhD, Oyinkepreye Brisibe PhD

Digital Public Relations and Corporate Reputation Management Strategies of Oando, Seplat and Renaissance Africa Energy Companies in Nigeria

Author: Dickson, Lauren Dawari, Prof. Godwin B. Okon, Prof. Richard N. Amadi, Dr. Itieke-Idamieba Harry

Evaluating the Influence of Strategic Health Communication Campaign on Vaccine Hesitancy in Rural Rivers State Communities

Author: Gabriel, Obokuru, Prof. Nsereka, Barigbon Gbara, Dike, Harcourt Whyte PhD, Nwankpa Nduka N. PhD

Integrated Marketing Communications and Subscriber Growth in A Sub-Saharan Telecom Sub-Brand

Author: Rita Korkor Agyei1, Ogochukwu T. Izuchukwu2, Dominic Feboh3, Abiola Idowu4