Consumer Value Perception in Drone Delivery: Re-Conceptualizing Risk in Technology-Mediated Logistics

This study refines the role of perceived sacrifice in technology-mediated services by examining its indirect effect on perceived value through financial risk. Drawing on the quality–sacrifice–value framework, this research investigates consumer adoption of drone delivery services in Taiwan, integrating performance risk and financial risk as dual mediators. Although these two risk dimensions are theoretically distinct, they were empirically closely related in this study and should be interpreted with caution. Survey data from 385 consumers were analyzed using structural equation modeling and bootstrapping techniques. The results reveal that perceived service quality enhances perceived value both directly and indirectly via reduced performance risk. In contrast, perceived sacrifice does not directly reduce perceived value; instead, its effect is fully mediated by financial risk. These findings challenge the traditional assumption of a direct trade-off between sacrifice and value, suggesting that, in autonomous, contactless services, consumers primarily interpret costs through a risk lens. The study contributes to consumer behavior theory by proposing a risk-mediated value formation mechanism in technology-driven contexts. It offers practical implications for building system-based trust in last-mile logistics.