Agency or Self-Run: the effect of consumer green education on recyclers' distribution channel choice under platform economy

Consumer green education has significantly affected the green supply chain and recyclers have started to distribute remanufactured products via online platforms. Through a two-period game model, this study examines the effects of consumer green education on the recycler's channel choice. The recyclers sell remanufactured products through either the E-retailer's platform (Agency channel), or their own online platform (Self-Run channel). Surprisingly, our research indicates that a new product seller (E-retailer) can benefit from the remanufactured goods' cannibalisation in the Agency channel, provided the consumer green education is under-developed. This finding challenges the traditional opinion that the cannibalisation causes loss of profit for new-product sellers. Besides, as the consumer green education effect increases, the recycler prefers the Self-Run channel even with high operational costs. This study provides new insights into the recyclers' channel choice by considering the consumer green effect, thereby extending the research on the remanufactured products' distribution channel strategy.

Automated summary

Consumer green education has a significant impact on the choice of distribution channels for recyclers selling remanufactured products. Surprisingly, new product sellers can benefit from cannibalization within the Agency channel when consumer green education is under-developed. As consumer green education increases, recyclers prefer the Self-Run channel despite higher operational costs.