Evolutionary Game Study of Packaging Strategy for E-commerce Platform Based on Hotelling Model

HE Bo; ZHANG Hanwen; WANG Linyu; CHENG Sheng

doi:10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2025.13.031

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Packaging Engineering ›› 2025, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (13) : 280-288. DOI: 10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2025.13.031

Green Packaging and Circular Economy

Evolutionary Game Study of Packaging Strategy for E-commerce Platform Based on Hotelling Model

HE Bo, ZHANG Hanwen, WANG Linyu, CHENG Sheng

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Abstract

The work aims to analyze the game relationship between e-commerce platforms in the process of adopting recyclable packaging strategies, and reveal the evolution mechanism and path of their strategy choices, so as to provide a useful reference for promoting the greening and sustainable development of packaging. Based on the Hotelling model, four packaging strategy combination scenarios were proposed, and a three-party evolutionary game model between two oligopolistic e-commerce platforms and the government was constructed to simulate the dynamic behaviors of each party in the evolutionary process. Numerical simulation analysis was carried out using Matlab software to explore the influence of key influencing factors on the evolutionary path of the two oligopoly e-commerce platforms. The final stable state of the game system was significantly affected by the fixed cost of recyclable packaging, the intensity of market competition, and the strength of government incentives and penalties. The system presented a variety of evolutionary stable equilibrium under different parameter intervals. In conclusion, E-commerce platforms can reduce the implementation cost of recyclable packaging by optimizing the operation system and standardized management, thus improving the overall net income. The government can stimulate the enthusiasm of e-commerce platforms in adopting recyclable packaging through reasonable and effective incentive and punishment policies, combined with market regulation, to accelerate the popularization and application of recyclable packaging, and to achieve a win-win situation in terms of economic and environmental benefits.

Key words

e-commerce platform / packaging strategy / recyclable packaging / Hotelling model / evolutionary game / government rewards and punishments

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HE Bo, ZHANG Hanwen, WANG Linyu, CHENG Sheng. Evolutionary Game Study of Packaging Strategy for E-commerce Platform Based on Hotelling Model[J]. Packaging Engineering. 2025, 46(13): 280-288 https://doi.org/10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2025.13.031

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