The last food mile concept as a city logistics solution for perishable products: The case of Parma's Food Urban Distribution Center

This paper analyzes last mile logistics for fresh food products and the food deliveries schemes to urban food outlets, i.e. corporate retail chains, independent retailers and hotel, restaurants and catering (Ho.Re.Ca.) sector. We present two concepts: that of food hub and that of last food mils, as well as an analysis framework to understand food last mile distribution. To illustrate it, two experiences of urban food distribution are compared to a reference situation using the proposed framework.Cet article analyse la logistique du dernier kilomètre pour les produits frais, dans les différents secteurs impliqués, i.e. grande distribution organisée, commerces indépendants et secteur de la restauration. Nous présentons deux concepts : celui du pole alimentaire et celui du dernier kilomètre alimentaire, ainsi qu'un cadre d'analyse pour comprendre la distribution alimentaire en ville. Pour l'illustrer, deux expériences de logistique alimentaire urbaine sont comparés à une situation de référence, en utilisant la méthode proposée

Final deliveries for online shopping: the deployment of pickup point networks in urban and suburban areas

In France, e-commerce has experienced steady growth over the past decade. A striking aspect is that it is now widespread among different segments of the population, including suburban and rural households. This growth has generated significant demand for dedicated delivery services to end consumers. Pickup points (PP) represent a fast-growing alternative to home delivery, accounting for about 20% of parcel deliveries to households. The article focuses on the strategy of PP network operators. Our results are threefold.We have documented the récent development of alternative parcel delivery services to e-shoppers in Europe, and especially in France. We have described how the operators have decided to organize their PP network, identifying main variables and constraints. We have provided an analysis of the spatial distribution of PPs in France. The paper shows that at the French national level, PPs are nowawell established alternative to home deliveries and their presence covers urban, suburban and rural areas. While PP density in remote areas decreases faster than population density, rural e-consumers' accessibility to PP sites has reached a viable level. Furthermore, PP delivery services generate new types of B2B freight trips that are not yet included in current urban freight models

The deployment of city and area distribution centers in France and Italy: Comparison of six representative models

International audienceIn this article, we propose a critical overview of the deployment of urban distribution centers (UDCs) in France and Italy. We focus on two categories of UDCs: those deployed to deliver to the city and located in peripheral areas and those located close to a specific area to serve it. Starting from an initial typology of experiments, obtained from a systematic analysis of 36 experiences (18 in France and 18 in Italy), we orient the study towards the analysis of six models of cooperative strategies set up to reach an economic viability of these platforms. Those models are studied on a four-element grid: steering, organization, development, and financing. The defined typology and the analysis of the six types of cases enabled us to determine the main elements that influence the search for economic viability in urban consolidation and distribution platforms