German research on cargo bikes: DiMoG

Promoting cycling as part of a forward-thinking, climate-neutral, and sustainable form of mobility is becoming a focal point for companies and municipalities in Germany and worldwide. The challenge is not only in changing mindsets but also in addressing the logistical requirements needed to implement a cycling-focused strategy. Delivery concepts with cargo bikes in freight transport …

US study: is online grocery delivery a sustainable practice?

Grocery delivery services have seen rapid growth in recent years. Is this a sustainable practice or a congestion generator and an environmental burden? Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University (USA) developed a method to estimate changes in travel patterns caused by grocery delivery adoption (a method to modify travel demand data to reflect changes in travel patterns …

Is it possible to stimulate the online consumer to choose sustainable delivery and return options?

The e-commerce sector aims to reduce CO₂ emissions by 2025 significantly and is working hard to achieve delivery with as few CO₂ emissions as possible. One way to contribute to lower CO₂ emissions from e-commerce is for web shops to encourage their customers to choose a sustainable delivery option. Involving consumers Small-scale experimental research into …

Assessing the effects of delivery attributes on online consumer behavior

E-consumer behavior plays a vital role in e-commerce worldwide. A recent paper addresses the importance of delivery time, delivery fee, and delivery reception, and the influence of delivery fee and reception on e-consumers’ behavior by analyzing the following hypotheses: delivery attributes affect e-shopping behavior, and delivery attributes affect e-consumers’ behavior according to their sociodemographic characteristics. …

Three recent Delphi studies on the future of last-mile deliveries

In 2022 three Delphi studies (based on scenarios) were published about the future of last-mile innovations in urban areas: Peppel, M., Ringbeck, J., & Spinler, S. (2022). How will last-mile delivery be shaped in 2040? A Delphi-based scenario study. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 177, 121493. The researchers developed projections of future consumer behavior, delivery technologies, delivery services, …

Using the living lab method for last mile innovations

A transition in city logistics is necessary to solve challenges in the last mile. Realizing such a transition appears to be difficult, as many trials and field tests undertaken in the city logistics prove, but major transitions are lacking. City logistics issues are complex to solve, as there is usually no single problem owner and …

How Amsterdam is pushing pedestrians out of the city

The pedestrian is not getting anywhere in Amsterdam. The new policy framework, Space for the Pedestrian, which should create more pedestrian space, applies only to new situations. Pedestrians will end up with less space, structurally. Citywide, the rules for HoReCa terraces, store displays, shared scooters and bikes, and other objects on the sidewalk will not …

Modular containerization of parcel networks: simulation-based impact assessment

The parcel industry has undergone significant changes in recent years, primarily driven by the surge of e-commerce and new technologies. The Physical Internet (PI) provides initiatives to optimize parcel flow and jointly address the industry’s economic, operational, social, and environmental sustainability issues. Encapsulating parcels in modular PI containers is a promising method to enhance efficiency …