Investigating Consumer Preferences and Behavior in the Digital Coffee Market on the Tmall Platform in China

Abstract

China’s coffee market has expanded alongside the rapid development of digital retail platforms, yet the mechanisms through which online platform-related product perceptions shape coffee purchasing frequency remain insufficiently specified. This study examines consumer preferences and behavior in the digital coffee market on Tmall, a major Chinese business-to-consumer online retail platform [citation needed]. Drawing on consumer behavior theory, digital platform marketing, and a cautious Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) logic, the study investigates how coffee product customer preference (CP), coffee product portfolio design (PD), coffee product customer feedback (CF), and offline experience of coffee products (OE) relate to the average monthly frequency of purchasing coffee products through Tmall. Primary survey data were collected from 270 consumers through online channels, yielding 265 valid responses and a valid response rate of 98.1%. The data were analyzed using reliability analysis, validity assessment, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM). The results show that CP has a significant positive effect on purchasing frequency, whereas PD and OE have significant negative effects. CF is not statistically significant. The study contributes by focusing specifically on China’s Tmall coffee market and by identifying how preference alignment, platform product portfolio design, feedback mechanisms, and offline experience operate in this digital coffee context. The findings suggest that online coffee brands should strengthen personalized product positioning, improve portfolio clarity, integrate offline and online experience design, and communicate sustainability-oriented value propositions through digital platforms.