The rapid growth of e-commerce has intensified pressure on urban logistics systems, particularly in the last mile. This segment is both the most expensive and environmentally impactful part of parcel distribution, due to fragmented routes, failed deliveries, and a lack of economies of scale. To mitigate these externalities, parcel lockers (PLs) have emerged as a promising alternative last-mile solution.
By consolidating deliveries to shared pickup points, PLs enable carriers to optimize routes, reduce vehicle miles traveled, avoid redelivery attempts, and lower operational costs. Existing research shows PLs can reduce last-mile CO₂ emissions by 20–30%, traffic volumes by up to 25%, and failed deliveries by nearly 80% (not accounting for consumers driving to PLs…).
Most empirical studies to date have examined PL adoption in developed economies. However, adoption dynamics may differ substantially in emerging urban contexts characterized by dense settlement patterns, low private car ownership, mixed land uses, and mobility systems dominated by walking and public transport. To address this research gap, the article presents the first behavioral study of PL adoption in Latin America, using Medellín (Colombia) as a case. A survey of 363 respondents was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to evaluate how perceived benefits, perceived threats, environmental awareness, and individual innovativeness shape intention to use PLs.
The study finds that perceived benefits are the strongest positive driver of adoption. Respondents associate lockers with increased convenience, flexible collection, and the potential for shorter perceived delivery times. Perceived risks—such as privacy concerns, package loss, or longer delivery windows—exert a negative but comparatively weak effect on adoption. This suggests that threat perceptions do not constitute a major barrier for potential users in this context.
Individual innovativeness also positively influences intention to use, indicating a role for “early adopters” in market formation. Interestingly, environmental awareness is a statistically significant but relatively weak driver of adoption. While many respondents consider themselves environmentally conscious, they do not strongly associate PL use with environmental benefits, indicating a communication gap. As the authors note, sustainability advantages may be more intuitive to logistics professionals than to consumers, pointing to the need for targeted information strategies.
Urban form and mobility conditions in Medellín reinforce the suitability of lockers as a sustainable last-mile solution: low vehicle ownership and dense transit-accessible neighborhoods increase the likelihood of active or public-transport access to lockers, enhancing net environmental gains.
Overall, the research reframes PLs not only as a technological innovation in last-mile delivery, but also as a behavioral and urban innovation shaped by socio-spatial conditions. For city logistics, this highlights a broader implication: the scaling of sustainable last-mile models in emerging economies will depend not only on operational efficiency but also on consumer perception, awareness, and urban accessibility.