Abstract
Globalization and the COVID-19 pandemic led to an increased number of consumers using e-commerce services. This trend has been raising the demand for logistic activities, especially on the last-mile. This part of the supply chain is expensive and ineffective, and a source of negative externalities such as air and noise pollution, traffic congestion and accidents. The anticipation of innovative solutions can help to mitigate these costs. In this context, this paper provides a systematic literature review of the existing literature regarding emerging solutions for last-mile parcel delivery. For guiding the development of more sustainable last-mile parcel distribution, and to provide some insights for future research, we identified and summarized the emerging concepts within this field domain. The results show that innovative solutions have been emerging at different levels: (i) definition of new crowdsourcing-based models, (ii) use of new types of vehicles, and (iii) development of optimization systems based on data collection and the combination of different technologies. Moreover, recent studies show that new strategies are being developed focusing on using consumers as active actors of delivery; non-road and autonomous vehicles are promising concepts in last-mile operations; and different logistic operations, such as vehicle routing, are being optimized with data analytics, cloud technology and mobile apps.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
AFMS: Advanced Fleet Management Systems.
References
Allen, J., Piecyk, M., Piotrowska, M., McLeod, F., Cherrett, T., Ghali, K., Nguyen, T., Bektas, T., Bates, O., Friday, A., Wise, S., Austwick, M.: Understanding the impact of e-commerce on last-mile light goods vehicle activity in urban areas: the case of London. Transp. Res. Part D-Transp. Environ. 61, 325–338 (2018)
Anosike, A., Loomes, H., Udokporo, C., Garza-Reyes, J.: Exploring the challenges of electric vehicle adoption in final mile parcel delivery. Int. J. Logist. Res. Appl. (2021)
Briner, R.B., Denyer, D.: Systematic review and evidence synthesis as a practice and scholarship tool. In: Rousseau, D. (ed.) The Oxford Handbook of Evidence-Based Management, pp. 112–129. Oxford Library of Psychology, Oxford University Press, New York, U. S. A. (2012). Accessed 02 Mar 2022
Brotcorne, L., Perboli, G., Rosano, M., Wei, Q.: A managerial analysis of urban parcel delivery: a lean business approach. Sustainability 11(12) (2019)
Cerrone, C., Cerulli, R., Sciomachen, A.: Grocery distribution plans in urban networks with street crossing penalties. Networks 78(3), 248–263 (2021)
Chaparro-Peláez, J., Agudo-Peregrina, N.F., Pascual-Miguel, F.J.: Conjoint analysis of drivers and inhibitors of e-commerce adoption. J. Bus. Res. 69(4), 1277–1282 (2016)
Chen, C., Pan, S.: Using the crowd of taxis to last mile delivery in e-commerce: a methodological research. vol. 640, pp. 61–70. Service Orientation in Holonic and Multi-Agent Manufacturing (2016)
Clarivate: Web of science core collection: explanation of peer reviewed journals. www.support.clarivate.com/ScientificandAcademicResearch/s/article/Web-of-Science-Core-Collection-Explanation-of-peer-reviewed-journals?language=en_US (2018)
Dalla Chiara, G., Cheah, L., Azevedo, C., Ben-Akiva, M.: A policy-sensitive model of parking choice for commercial vehicles in urban areas. Transp. Sci. 54(3), 606–630 (2020)
Denyer, D., Tranfield, D.: Producing a systematic review. In: The Sage Handbook of Organizational Research Methods, pp. 671–689. Sage Publications Ltd., Thousand Oaks, CA (2009)
Diana, M., Pirra, M., Woodcock, A.: Freight distribution in urban areas: a method to select the most important loading and unloading areas and a survey tool to investigate related demand patterns. Eur. Transp. Res. Rev. 12(1) (2020)
Elangovan, R., Kanwhen, O., Dong, Z., Mohamed, A., Rojas-Cessa, R.: Comparative analysis of energy use and greenhouse gas emission of diesel and electric trucks for food distribution in Gowanus district of New York city. Front. Big Data 4 (2021)
Eurostat: E-commerce statistics for individuals., www.ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=E-commerce_statistics_for_individuals (2022)
Gatta, V., Marcucci, E., Nigro, M., Patella, S., Serafini, S.: Public transport-based crowdshipping for sustainable city logistics: assessing economic and environmental impacts. Sustainability 11(1) (2019)
Gatta, V., Marcucci, E., Nigro, M., Serafini, S.: Sustainable urban freight transport adopting public transport-based crowdshipping for b2c deliveries. Eur. Transp. Res. Rev.11(1) (2019)
Gevaers, R., Voorde, E., Vanelslander, T.: Characteristics of innovations in last mile logistics-using best practices, case studies and making the link with green and sustainable logistics (2009)
Giusti, R., Iorfida, C., Li, Y., Manerba, D., Musso, S., Perboli, G., Tadei, R., Yuan, S.: Sustainable and de-stressed international supply-chains through the synchro-net approach. Sustainability 11(4) (2019)
Guo, X., Jaramillo, Y., Bloemhof-Ruwaard, J., Claassen, G.: On integrating crowdsourced delivery in last-mile logistics: a simulation study to quantify its feasibility. J. Clean. Prod. 241 (2019)
Gutierrez-Franco, E., Mejia-Argueta, C., Rabelo, L.: Data-driven methodology to support long-lasting logistics and decision making for urban last-mile operations. Sustainability 13(11) (2021)
Iwan, S., Nurnberg, M., Jedlinski, M., Kijewska, K.: Efficiency of light electric vehicles in last mile deliveries-Szczecin case study. Sustain. Cities Soc. 74 (2021)
de Kervenoael, R., Schwob, A., Chandra, C.: E-retailers and the engagement of delivery workers in urban last-mile delivery for sustainable logistics value creation: leveraging legitimate concerns under time-based marketing promise. J. Retail. Consumer Services 54 (2020)
Kim, R.Y.: The impact of covid-19 on consumers: Preparing for digital sales. IEEE Eng. Manage. Rev. 48(3), 212–218 (2020)
Lim, S., Jin, X., Srai, J.: Consumer-driven e-commerce: a literature review, design framework, and research agenda on last-mile logistics models. Int. J. Phys. Distrib. Logist. Manage. 48(3), 308–332 (2018)
Macharis, C., Kin, B.: The 4 a’s of sustainable city distribution: innovative solutions and challenges ahead. Int. J. Sustain. Transp. 11(2), 59–71 (2017)
Martins-Turner, K., Grahle, A., Nagel, K., Gohlich, D.: Electrification of urban freight transport—A case study of the food retailing industry. In: 11th International Conference on Ambient Systems, Networks and Technologies (ANT)/The 3rd International Conference on Emerging Data and Industry 4.0 (EDI40)/Affiliated Workshops, . vol. 170, pp. 757–763 (2020)
McKinnon, A., Browne, M., Whiteing, A., Piecyk, M.: Green Logistics: Improving the Environmental Sustainability of Logistics. Kogan Page Publishers. google-Books-ID: E9BuBgAAQBAJ (2015)
Mehmann, J., Frehe, V., Teuteberg, F.: Crowd Logistics—A Literature Review and Maturity Model p. 31 (2015)
Mkansi, M., de Leeuw, S., Amosun, O.: Mobile application supported urban-township e-grocery distribution. Int. J. Phys. Distrib. Logist. Manage. 50(1), 26–53 (2019)
de Oliveira, C., Bandeira, R., Goes, G., Goncalves, D., D’Agosto, M.: Sustainable vehicles-based alternatives in last mile distribution of urban freight transport: a systematic literature review. Sustainability 9(8) (2017)
Pan, S., Giannikas, V., Han, Y., Grover-Silva, E., Qiao, B.: Using customer-related data to enhance e-grocery home delivery. Ind. Manage. Data Systems 117(9), 1917–1933 (2017)
Patella, S., Grazieschi, G., Gatta, V., Marcucci, E., Carrese, S.: The adoption of green vehicles in last mile logistics: a systematic review. Sustainability 13(1) (2021)
Perboli, G., Rosano, M.: A taxonomic analysis of smart city projects in north America and Europe. Sustainability 12(18) (2020)
Pronello, C., Camusso, C., Valentina, R.: Last mile freight distribution and transport operators’ needs: which targets and challenges? In: World Conference On Transport Research—WCTR 2016, vol. 25, pp. 888–899 (2017)
Rincon-Garcia, N., Waterson, B., Cherrett, T., Salazar-Arrieta, F.: A metaheuristic for the time-dependent vehicle routing problem considering driving hours regulations—An application in city logistics. Transp. Res. Part A Policy Practice 137, 429–446 (2020)
Rzesny-Cieplinska, J., Szmelter-Jarosz, A.: Assessment of the crowd logistics solutions-the stakeholders’ analysis approach. Sustainability 11(19) (2019)
Seghezzi, A., Mangiaracina, R., Tumino, A., Perego, A.: ‘pony express’ crowdsourcing logistics for last-mile delivery in b2c e-commerce: an economic analysis. Int. J. Logist. Res. Appl. 24(5), 456–472 (2021)
Serrano-Hernandez, A., Ballano, A., Faulin, J.: Selecting freight transportation modes in last-mile urban distribution in Pamplona (Spain): an option for drone delivery in smart cities. Energies 14(16) (2021)
Settey, T., Gnap, J., Benova, D., Pavlicko, M., Blazekova, O.: The growth of e-commerce due to covid-19 and the need for urban logistics centers using electric vehicles: Bratislava case study. Sustainability 13(10) (2021)
Siragusa, C., Tumino, A., Mangiaracina, R., Perego, A.: Electric vehicles performing last-mile delivery in b2c e-commerce: an economic and environmental assessment. Int. J. Sustain. Transp. 16(1), 22–33 (2022)
Thomas, J., Kneale, D., McKenzie, J.E., Brennan, S.E., Bhaumik, S.: Determining the scope of the review and the questions it will address. In: Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, pp. 13–31. Wiley (2019)
Tranfield, D., Denyer, D., Smart, P.: Towards a methodology for developing evidence-informed management knowledge by means of systematic review. British J. Manage. 14(3), 207–222 (2003)
Tsakalidis, A., Krause, J., Julea, A., Peduzzi, E., Pisoni, E., Thiel, C.: Electric light commercial vehicles: are they the sleeping giant of electromobility? Transp. Res. Part D Transp. Environ. 86 (2020)
United Nations: World urbanization prospects: the 2018 revision (2019)
Wang, K., Bae, K.: In-depth learning layout and path optimization of energy service urban distribution sites under e-commerce environment. Complexity 2021 (2021)
Yang, D., Wu, P.: E-commerce logistics path optimization based on a hybrid genetic algorithm. Complexity 2021 (2021)
Acknowledgements
This work is financed by National Funds through the FCT–Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) within the e-LOG project (EXPL/ECI-TRA/0679/2021). Tânia Fontes also thanks FCT for the Post-Doctoral scholarship SFRH/BPD/109426/2015.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
Silva, V., Amaral, A., Fontes, T. (2023). Anticipation of New and Emerging Trends for Sustainable Last-Mile Urban Distribution. In: Nathanail, E.G., Gavanas, N., Adamos, G. (eds) Smart Energy for Smart Transport. CSUM 2022. Lecture Notes in Intelligent Transportation and Infrastructure. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-23721-8_106
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-23721-8_106
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-23720-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-23721-8
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)