Coupling relationship between cold chain logistics and economic development: A investigation from China

This paper builds an evaluation index system, uses the entropy weight method (EWM) to decide the weights and, based on the coupling coordination degree model (CCDM), it systematically studies the coupling relationship between Chinese cold chain logistics and the Chinese economy from 2010 to 2019. It performs a grey relational analysis (GRE) to explore the main factors influencing the coordinated development of the two. The results show that the coupling coordination degree between the two presents a steady upward trend, and their coupling relationship has been upgraded from ‘coordination’ to ‘good coordination’. They also indicate that the added value in the tertiary industry, the per capita gross domestic product (GDP), and household consumption levels are the main factors affecting the development of cold chain logistics, while the per capita cold storage capacity, the turnover of road cold chain freight, and the volume of human-power employed in cold chain logistics are the main factors affecting economic development. This study makes suggestions to support the coordinated development of cold chain logistics and economy, and provides a scientific basis for further research.