Logistics challenges of e-grocery last-mile delivery: a literature review

In recent years, e-commerce has been growing globally and online markets have undergone a radical transformation during Covid-19 Pandemic. In this context, Food and Grocery sector has expanded exponentially thus leading to a development of last-mile logistics which is the least efficient supply chain activity in terms of economic and environmental impact. At the moment, B2C e-commerce players face multiple challenges due to logistics complexities and efficiency. On the other side, demand complexities rise from Service Level expectations, and consumers’ willingness to pay for logistics services. Food and Grocery e-commerce has three main configurations: the enogastronomic e-commerce, the on-demand food delivery and the e-grocery. Among these, the third one has reported the highest growth during and after the Pandemic. However, beside complexities of e-commerce logistics, the online purchase of grocery products raises new challenges due to product peculiarities, logistics requirements and complexity of orders. The aim of this work is therefore to investigate which are the main problems associated with last-mile delivery for e-grocery and which are the appropriate variables to describe them. In order to achieve this objective, a Systematic Literature Review has been performed to identify key issues addressed by scholars and existing typologies of last- mile delivery problems in this sector. The contribution of this research is threefold: firstly, it analyses the state of the art of last-mile challenges for e- grocery from an academic perspective and proposes a classification. Secondly, the identification of logistics variables associated with identified problems highlights potential threats for E-grocery players. Therefore, this work supports managers to identify challenges in a structured way before planning appropriate countermeasures for the specific context. Thirdly, it identifies opportunities for future research directions

E-grocery logistics: exploring the gap between research and practice

Purpose: This paper investigates the logistics management in the e-grocery sector. It contrasts the key issues faced by practitioners and the topics addressed in the academic literature, to identify potential misalignments between research and practice and propose avenues for future efforts. Design/methodology/approach: This work adopts a twofold methodological approach. From an academic perspective, a systematic literature review (SLR) is performed to define the topics addressed so far by scholars when analysing e-grocery logistics. From a managerial perspective, a Delphi study is accomplished to identify the most significant issues faced by logistics practitioners in the e-grocery context and the associated significance. Findings: The study develops a conceptual framework, identifying and mapping the 9 main logistics challenges for e-grocery along 4 clusters, in the light of a logistics-related revision of the SCOR model: distribution network design (area to be served, infrastructures), order fulfilment process (picking, order storage, consolidation, delivery), logistics-related choices from other domains (product range, stock-out management) and automation. These elements are discussed along three dimensions: criticalities, basic and advanced/automation-based solutions. Finally, the main gaps are identified – in terms of both under-investigated topics (order storage and stock-out management) and investigated topics needing further research (picking and automation) – and research questions and hypotheses are outlined. Originality/value: This paper provides a threefold contribution, revolving around the developed framework. First, it investigates the state of the art about e-grocery logistics, classifying the addressed themes. Second, it explores the main issues e-grocery introduces for logistics practitioners. Third, it contrasts the two outcomes, identifying the misalignment between research and practice, and accordingly, proposing research directions

Parcel lockers vs. home delivery: a model to compare last-mile delivery cost in urban and rural areas

Purpose This paper investigates the economic performances of two business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce last-mile delivery options -parcel lockers (PLs) and traditional home delivery (HD) in contexts where e-commerce is still at its early stages. It analyses and compares two different implementation contexts, urban and rural areas. Design/methodology/approach This study develops an analytical model that estimates delivery costs for both the PL and HD options. The model is applied to two base cases (representative of urban and rural areas in Italy), and sensitivity analyses are subsequently performed on a set of key variables/parameters (i.e. PL density, PL fill rate and PL annual costs). To support the model development and application, interviews with practitioners (Edwards et al., 2011) were performed. Findings PLs imply lower delivery cost than HD, independently from the implementation area (urban or rural): advantages mainly derive from the higher delivery density and the drastic reduction of failed deliveries. Benefits entailed by PLs are more significant in rural areas due to lower PL investments and annual costs, as well as higher HD costs. Originality/value This paper offers insights to both academics and practitioners. On the academic side, it develops a model to compare the delivery cost of PL and HD, which includes the analysis of urban and rural contexts. This could serve as a platform for developing/informing future analytical/optimisation contributions. On the managerial side, it may support practitioners in making decisions about the implementation of PLs and HD, to benchmark their costs and to identify the main variables and parameters at play

Enhancing in-store picking for e-grocery: an empirical-based model

Purpose: This paper identifies, configures and analyses a solution aimed at increasing the efficiency of in-store picking for e-grocers and combining the traditional store-based option with a warehouse-based logic (creating a back area dedicated to the most required online items). Design/methodology/approach: The adopted methodology is a multi-method approach combining analytical modelling and interviews with practitioners. Interviews were performed with managers, whose collaboration allowed the development and application of an empirically-grounded model, aimed to estimate the performances of the proposed picking solution in its different configurations. Various scenarios are modelled and different policies are evaluated. Findings: The proposed solution entails time benefits compared to traditional store-based picking for three main reasons: lower travel time (due to the absence of offline customers), lower retrieval time (tied to the more efficient product allocation in the back) and lower time to manage stock-outs (since there are no missing items in the back). Considering the batching policies, order picking is always outperformed by batch and zone picking, as they allow for the reduction of the average travelled distance per order. Conversely, zone picking is more efficient than batch picking when demand volumes are high. Originality/value: From an academic perspective, this work proposes a picking solution that combines the store-based and warehouse-based logics (traditionally seen as opposite/alternative choices). From a managerial perspective, it may support the definition of the picking process for traditional grocers that are offering – or aim to offer – e-commerce services to their customers

Combining crowdsourcing and mapping customer behaviour in last-mile deliveries

In the light of the dramatic rise of online sales, last-mile deliveries (i.e., the delivery of products ordered online to the final customer) have been increasingly gaining the attention of both managers and academics. As a matter of fact, they are very critical in terms of effectiveness (as customers demand fast and accurate deliveries), and efficiency (since they imply very high costs). Henceforth, logistics players operating in the B2C e-commerce environment are striving to find and implement innovative solutions, different from the costly traditional by-van home deliveries. Among the options analysed by scholars so far, two promising ones are crowdsourcing logistics (i.e., outsourcing delivery activities to “common” people) and mapping the behaviour of customers (i.e., analysing the probability distribution of the customer presence at home and accordingly scheduling deliveries to minimise the probability of failed deliveries). In this paper, we introduce and study a combination between the two solutions, proposing a variant of the Vehicle Routing Problem, which considers both the Availability Profiles and Occasional Drivers (VRPAPOD). We model the delivery problem as a mixed-integer program and solve it with a branch-and-price algorithm. To analyse the benefit of the combined use of crowdshipping and customers availability profiles (APs), we conduct several experiments in a real context in the city of Milan, randomly extracting 100 customers in a 16 km2 area. The combined solution is compared with two benchmarking models, namely the traditional home delivery (traditional VRP) and the crowdsourcing logistics option (Vehicle Routing Problem with Occasional Drivers (VRPOD)). Results prove that logistics players can achieve important benefits by relying on the crowd and scheduling deliveries according to clients' APs, which become more significant in case of high drivers availability

Dark, cloud and ghost kitchens: a logistics perspective

In recent years multiple countries have witnessed the dramatic diffusion of the so-called “on-demand food delivery”, i.e., a model based on online platforms offering the delivery of freshly prepared meals from restaurants to the customers’ home. In these ecosystems, novel solutions referred to as “Kitchens for Delivery” are being created, which are aimed to fulfil these orders. Differently from traditional restaurants, these are kitchens dedicated to the preparation of online orders only, with no offline customers. This being the context, the present research has a twofold goal. First, identifying and describing the major different models existing in the field (i.e., Dark, Cloud and Ghost Kitchens). Second, estimating their performances from a logistics perspective, by means of an evaluation of their impact on the on-demand food delivery logistics problem. The implemented approach is multi-method, as it combines: (i) the analysis of (black, grey and white) literature, to understand the state of art and map the main solutions; (ii) a simulation study, to assess the changes implied by introducing Ghost Kitchens into the network in terms of delivery performances; (iii) interviews with practitioners, to validate and interpret the results. The research is expected to have both academic and managerial implications. Considering academia, it sheds light on a field that is under-investigated in literature, proposing a classification of extant models, as well as a model to estimate their logistics implications. Considering industry, it provides an estimation of the impact that implementing Ghost Kitchens could have on the most significant logistics performances

Delivering parcels through a metro-based underground network: an economic analysis

This work proposes the introduction of an innovative method to deliver parcels within urban areas through a two- echelon logistic network, exploiting underground public transportation and cargo bikes. A model simulating the delivery of parcels through underground public transportation and cargo bikes is developed and applied to the city of Milan. Different scenarios, characterized by a different number of train stations activated and a number of daily orders, are investigated. Exploiting available capacity at subway trains reduces the impact of routing empty vehicles for the public infrastructure provider. Besides, as small, capacitated vehicles, cargo cycles allow having an average higher saturation, with the possibility of running multiple trips within the same day, lowering the impact of non-value adding returns for long-haul vehicles coming from outlying distribution centers. Alongside this, the usage of light vehicles and underground infrastructures help to significantly reduce transportation impacts. Overall, the solution proposed has the potential to radically innovate and improve urban last mile delivery under both economic and environmental perspectives. The present work proposes an innovative solution to deliver parcels, showing that it is sustainable from the logistics service operators' perspective

Truck-based drone delivery system: An economic and environmental assessment

Innovative solutions for last-mile delivery have sparked great interest among consumers and logistics operators. The combination of new technologies with existing ones can lead to new possible last-mile delivery configurations, among which truck-drone joint delivery is one of the most promising. This paper evaluates the environmental and economic sustainability of a last-mile delivery solution involving electric trucks equipped with drones, and it provides a comparison with traditional logistics systems. The comparative life cycle assessment methodology is used to quantify the greenhouse gas emissions per parcel delivered. The total cost of ownership methodology is adopted for the economic analysis. Results suggest that the truck-drone alternative leads to significant emissions reductions, while its cost performance is primarily affected by the drone automation level

Urokinase Plasminogen Activator and Gelatinases Are Associated with Membrane Vesicles Shed by Human HT1080 Fibrosarcoma Cells

Membrane vesicles are shed by tumor cells both in vivo and in vitro. Although their functions are not well understood, it has been proposed that they may play multiple roles in tumor progression. We characterized membrane vesicles from human HT1080 fibrosarcoma cell cultures for the presence of proteinases involved in tumor invasion. By gelatin zymography and Western blotting, these vesicles showed major bands corresponding to the zymogen and active forms of gelatinase B (MMP-9) and gelatinase A (MMP-2) and to the MMP-9. tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 complex. Both gelatinases appeared to be associated with the vesicle membrane. HT1080 cell vesicles also showed a strong, plasminogen-dependent fibrinolytic activity in 125I fibrin assays; this activity was associated with urokinase plasminogen activator, as shown by casein zymography and Western blotting. Urokinase was bound to its high affinity receptor on the vesicle membrane. Addition of plasminogen resulted in activation of the progelatinases associated with the vesicles, indicating a role of the urokinase-plasmin system in MMP-2 and MMP-9 activation. We propose that vesicles shed by tumor cells may provide a large membrane surface for the activation of membrane-associated proteinases involved in extracellular matrix degradation and tissue invasion

Ph-positive CML in blastic phase with monosomy 7 in a Down syndrome patient. Monitoring by interphase cytogenetics and demonstration of maternal allelic loss

We report a case of Ph-positive chronic myelocytic leukemia in blastic phase in an 11-year-old boy with Down syndrome. Monosomy 7 was the only additional chromosomal anomaly in the blastic clone. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis on interphase nuclei with a centromeric probe specific to chromosome 7 proved to be efficient in disease monitoring; and showed, together with the results of chromosome analysis on metaphases, that B- lymphocytes at the origin of an EBV-established line were not part of the leukemic clone. The study of DNA polymorphisms showed that the origin of the constitutional trisomy 21 was a maternal anaphase I nondisjunction, that the chromosome 7 lost in the blastic marrow clone was the maternal one, and led us to postulate that the mother's chromosomes are prone to impairment of normal disjunction. The study of allelic losses of chromosome 7 loci proved to be a further possibility for disease monitoring