•Lecithin improved storage life and maintained quality of goji berries.•Postharvest decay and weight loss greatly reduced in lecithin treated fruits.•Lecithin enhanced the antioxidative potential of goji berries during storage.•All bioactive compounds positively effected in lecithin treated fruits. To enhance storage life and post-storage quality of fresh goji berries, three treatments with lecithin (1, 5, 10g·L−1) and two storage times (8, 16days) were evaluated. The significant effects on the physiological and biochemical parameters were varied. 1g·L−1 lecithin showed its main effects after 8days of storage by reduction in total weight loss and decay, SSC/TA ratio (also at 16days), and chlorophyll content and with highest scores of sensory attributes (also at 16days). 5g·L−1 lecithin showed its main effects after 16days of storage: highest SSC, highest TA (also at 8days), highest TPC, only significant reduction in DPPH antioxidant activity, and highest total flavonoid content. 10g·L−1 lecithin showed its main effects after 8days of storage with highest SSC, chlorophyll content, total flavonoid, DPPH, and ABTS antioxidant activity (also at 16days), but with least scores of sensory attributes.