The Rise of Crowd Logistics: A New Way to Co-Create Logistics Value

Conceptualizing sharing supply chains – lessons from an exemplary case

Purpose

Over the last decade, a “new” sharing economy has emerged. So far, the supply chain literature has focused on platforms delivering crowd-logistics services that connect businesses and consumers (B2C). The literature has paid little attention to platforms that facilitate products exchanges between consumers. This article aims to develop a first supply chain conceptualization for consumer-to-consumer (C2C) product exchanges stimulated by the sharing economy. How to conceptualize C2C product exchanges from an Supply Chain (SC) perspective? Do such C2C product exchanges form what might be called “sharing supply chains”? What are the characteristics of these sharing supply chains?

Design/methodology/approach

The authors rely on a single case study of Vestiaire Collective (VC), a C2C platform that links consumers buying and selling second-hand luxury goods. This case was not selected because it is a typical C2C product platform, but because it is an “extreme” case (Yin, 2014) meeting Siggelkow's “talking pig” criterion (2007).

Findings

The authors demonstrate that VC intermediates a “sharing supply chain”, whose features differ from forward and reverse supply chains. The authors stress that strong physical intermediation is crucial in this extreme case. The authors then contrast this extreme case with other forms of sharing supply chains to identify the variables leading to these alternative configurations. Finally, the authors develop theoretical propositions regarding the physical intermediation role that these platforms may play.

Originality/value

The authors' article extends the scope of the supply chain concept by identifying sharing supply chains alongside other types of chains. The article also points to the strategic role of SC dimensions in the sharing economy. The authors hope that this article will lead to further research on sharing supply chains.

What Are More Efficient Transportation Services in a Rural Area? A Case Study in Yangsan City, South Korea

Population aging and population decline are experienced not only in South Korea but also in other countries around the world. In particular, public transportation operations, which have been centered on existing large buses, are struggling with a continuous deficit owing to the rapid population decline in rural areas, thus leading to a social issue. To address this issue, nations worldwide have attempted to find various alternatives. In South Korea, voucher taxis and city-type buses have been newly supplied in rural areas as alternatives. In this study, six city-type bus routes implemented in Yangsan-si, South Korea have been intensively reviewed in particular. The planned routes and operation status of each bus route were compared and reviewed based on geographic information systems. Six improved demand-responsive transport (DRT) operation methods were studied based on the operation patterns of city-type buses that were operated differently from the planed routes. Through this, a more suitable DRT small bus operation model for each route was proposed. Our study results will be a foundational proposal for policy makers concerned with improving public transport services and supplying new services in rural areas.

Crowdsourced product returns in C2B e-commerce: a post-pandemic no-contact consumer incentive-based model

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the conditions for the financial feasibility of an incentive-based model for self-drop or crowdsourced drop of the product to be returned at designated drop boxes (thereby ensuring a contactless process).

Design/methodology/approach

Constraint-based non-linear mathematical modeling was done for cost differential with and without crowdsourcing. This was analyzed against returns on investment for the installed infrastructure. Scenarios were looked into from the linear, iso-elastic and logarithmic demand functions to identify the optimal incentive policy. The results were further evaluated using “willingness to return” for customer willingness for product returns via drop boxes.

Findings

Crowdsourcing is viable when product returns are no more than 15%–20% of the overall products, with a logistics cost differential of 15%–25%. These were only viable when the product return incentive was within the range of 15%–20% of the product cost, as well as the penalty was in the range of 25 to 40% for wrong returns.

Research limitations/implications

The findings are expected to aid the organizations in successfully designing product return policies while adhering to the post-COVID-19 norms, including contactless transactions and social distancing.

Originality/value

The study provides a look into the viability sensitivity of effective gains/profitability against the required level of service for returns, wrong returns, penalties and incentives for crowdsourcing in a developing country like India.

Crowd Models for Last Mile Delivery in an Emerging Economy

The dramatic rise in online shopping means that the last mile delivery (LMD) task is becoming extremely important. However, last mile delivery faces many economic, social, and environmental challenges. A fast-growing innovative solution is Crowd Logistics Delivery (CLD). This study investigates how CLD is meeting these challenges in a rapidly emerging economy (Saudi Arabia). It uses semi-structured interviews to analyse CLD from the perspectives of multiple stakeholders, focusing on its implementation, benefits to different stakeholders, and its limitations. While the findings of this study broadly support the work of other studies in this area, it provides several new insights. It observed three different business models being used for CLD: B2B, B2C, and C2C. It identified the internal success factors of each business model, including registration, assigning orders, compensation, and the payment model. It revealed the motivations for stakeholders to use CLD as a last mile delivery solution, such as LMD-related benefits and the social impact on society. In addition, the study highlighted the four main challenges these CLD implementations face that impede their success: legislation, availability of supply/drivers, trust, and culture. These results add to the rapidly expanding field of CLD.

An Investigation of Multimodal Transport for Last Mile Delivery in Rural Areas

High distribution costs constitute one of the major obstacles to the sustainable development of rural logistics. In order to effectively reduce the distribution costs of last mile delivery in rural areas, based on three typical transport modes (local logistics providers, public transport, and crowdsourcing logistics), this study first proposes a multimodal transport design for last mile delivery in rural areas. Then, a cost–benefit model for multimodal transport is proposed which uses genetic algorithms (GA) to solve the logistical problems faced. Finally, Shapley value is used to fairly allocate profits and represent the marginal contribution of each mode in multimodal transport. The numerical results show that multimodal transport can effectively reduce the distribution costs of last mile delivery in rural areas. When the order demand of each node tends to be stable, the marginal contribution of crowdsourcing logistics is often greater than that of the other two distribution modes. The marginal contribution of public transport is highest only when the number of orders per node is very small.

Moving towards "mobile warehouse": Last-mile logistics during COVID-19 and beyond

Supply chains in general and last-mile logistics in particular, have been disrupted due to COVID-19. Though several innovative last-mile logistics solutions have been proposed in the past, they possess certain limitations, especially during COVID-19 motivating the need for an alternative last-mile logistics solution. We present a review of literature related to last-mile logistics and supply chain disruptions to identify the limitations of existing last-mile delivery practices during COVID-19. Using a stylized analytical model, we then propose that "mobile warehouse" can be an effective solution to last-mile logistics issues faced during COVID-19 and beyond under certain conditions. A mobile warehouse is a truck dedicated to a particular geographical location and carries the inventory of various products based on the estimated demand requirements for these products in that geographical location. We provide the condition under which the B2C e-commerce providers find it profitable to adopt a truck as a mobile warehouse to sell high demand items quickly.

Last-mile logistics in the sharing economy: sustainability paradoxes

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore sustainability paradoxes in sharing economy initiatives by focusing on logistics management in last-mile logistics.

Design/methodology/approach

In this exploratory study, a total of 10 case studies were conducted in three categories of companies: anti-waste platforms, food delivery platforms and bicycle delivery companies. Twenty-seven face-to-face interviews with founders and/or managers and contractors (couriers, logistics service providers or volunteers) were the primary source of data collection. The heterogeneity of the sample enabled the authors to build an understanding of sustainability paradoxes in the logistics of sharing economy initiatives.

Findings

The findings indicate how logistics management impacts the sustainability of sharing economy initiatives in last-mile delivery. The authors identify seven paradoxical tensions (five of them social) generated by the contradictions between the organizations' promised environmental and social values and the impacts of their operations.

Research limitations/implications

This exploratory research is based on a qualitative study of 10 cases and 27 interviews from heterogeneous samples; further empirical research is needed to ensure generalization.

Practical implications

The paper increases the understanding of environmental and social paradoxical tensions and awareness of logistics challenges.

Social implications

The paper helps identify ways to reconcile promised values and impacts generated by sharing economy initiatives while managing last-mile delivery.

Originality/value

The results enrich the literature about the paradoxes in sharing economy initiatives by providing illustrations in last-mile logistics and exposing the underlying challenges for sharing economy logistics actors.

Comprehensive evaluation of logistics enterprise competitiveness based on SEM model

The loose logistics market, the weak value-added service capabilities of enterprises, and the backward construction and operation of logistics networks have led to high logistics costs and low efficiency in some enterprises. In order to improve the comprehensive evaluation effect of enterprise logistics enterprise competitiveness, this paper builds a comprehensive evaluation model of logistics enterprise competitiveness based on SEM model based on machine learning technology. Moreover, in order to more accurately grasp the law of customer logistics mode selection behavior, this paper adds the adaptive value of the latent variables of the logistics mode service characteristics obtained through the SEM model to the utility function of the logistics mode to obtain the SEM-NL integrated model. In addition, starting from the analysis of the key factors affecting the competitiveness of enterprise logistics, this paper constructs an evaluation model of enterprise logistics competitiveness, and analyzes and studies the comprehensive competitiveness of enterprise logistics through two aspects of logistics actual competitiveness and logistics future development potential. The research results show that the model constructed in this paper is suitable for the comprehensive evaluation of the competitiveness of logistics enterprises.

Value Proposition for Sustainable Last-Mile Delivery. A Retailer Perspective

The sustainability of last-mile (LM) freight delivery is crucial to add value to the stakeholders in the distribution chain. However, its achievement is often hindered by a poor consideration of their needs by both literature and practice. The goal of this paper is to address the point of view of local retailers by exploring their needs about innovative LM delivery services and identifying sustainable value propositions (VP). A survey was submitted to retailers operating in the limited traffic zone of Torino (Italy). The survey data were analyzed by a factor analysis using a principal component analysis (PCA) to extract the factors. A correlation analysis was also conducted between the needs and selected contextual variables. The results show that retailers accept higher costs for more reliable deliveries and stock reduction. Retailers also correlate punctuality and flexibility because flexible and on-time deliveries allow for better inventory management, higher control, and, in turn, improved customer service level. This work is one of the first research attempts to quantify local retailers’ LM delivery needs and provides guidelines about how to design value-added logistics services. Moreover, from a practical point of view, the analysis shows the main VP that managers and practitioners should consider in the development of LM initiatives.

Towards a taxonomy of crowdsourced delivery business models

Purpose

The paper aims to develop (1) a comprehensive framework for classifying crowdshipping business models and (2) a taxonomy of currently implemented crowdshipping business models.

Design/methodology/approach

The business models of 105 companies offering crowdsourced delivery services are analysed. Cluster analysis and principal component analysis are applied to develop a business model taxonomy.

Findings

A detailed crowdsourced delivery business model framework with 74 features is developed. Based on it, six distinct clusters of crowdshipping business models are identified. One cluster stands out as the most appealing to customers based on social media metrics, indicating which type of crowdshipping business models is the most successful.

Research limitations/implications

Detailed investigations of each of the six clusters and of recent crowdshipping business model developments are needed in further research in order to enhance the derived taxonomy.

Practical implications

This paper serves as a best-practices guide for both start-ups and global logistics operators for establishing or further developing their crowdsourced delivery business models.

Originality/value

This paper provides a holistic understanding of the business models applied in the crowdshipping industry and is a valuable contribution to the yet small amount of studies in the crowd logistics field.

A critical assessment of co-creating self-collection services in last-mile logistics

Purpose

E-commerce last-mile logistics is undergoing dramatic changes. By inviting consumers to participate in self-collection, they collectively form a mass crowd of resources that can be integrated into last-mile logistics. However, consumers' participation may lead to a spectrum of value outcomes from value co-creation to co-destruction. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to critically examine the value formation process focussing on micro-level practices and resource outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

Anchored on practice theory and resource conservation theory, content analysis is adopted to analyse 546 practice-based experiences extracted from a leading social media platform.

Findings

The analysis reveals five sequential practices of self-collection: purchasing, delivering, notifying, receiving and confirming. Furthermore, the co-created practices are characterised by gains in material, esteem, social and energy resources of the interacting actors. Meanwhile, the co-destructed practices cause a chain of resource losses, where the interacting actors suffer primary losses which subsequently triggers consumers' coping behaviours and further destroys resources for all.

Research limitations/implications

Focussing on constituent service practices, this study zooms into the value formation process. The authors contribute to logistics literature with a service-dominant logic by stressing end-consumers' involvement in the creation and consumption of last-mile logistics.

Originality/value

This study conceptualises the sources and consequences of the nuanced service practices (value formation or destruction) of self-collection. A unified framework is thus proposed, which guides logistics service providers to channel consumers towards more constructive participation in last-mile logistics.

Crowd-shipping for urban food rescue logistics

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to gain a better understanding of how a crowd-shipping platform can achieve a critical mass of senders and carrier crowd members to yield network effects that are necessary for the platform to grow and thrive. Specifically, this research studies the participation decisions of both senders and carriers over time and the impacts of the resulting feedback loop on platform growth and performance.

Design/methodology/approach

An agent-based model is developed and used to study dynamic behavior and network effects within a simulated crowd-shipping platform. The model allows both carriers and senders to be represented as autonomous, heterogeneous and adaptive agents, whose decisions to participate in the platform impact the participation of other agents over time. Survey data inform the logic governing agent decisions and behaviors.

Findings

The feedback loop created by individual sender and carrier agents' participation decisions generates complex and dynamic network effects that are observable at the platform level. Experimental results demonstrate the importance of having sufficient crowd carriers available when the platform is initially launched, as well as ensuring that sender and carrier participation remains balanced as the platform grows over time.

Research limitations/implications

The model successfully demonstrates the power of agent-based modeling (ABM) in analyzing network effects in crowd-shipping systems. However, the model has not yet been fully validated with data from a real-world crowd-shipping platform. Furthermore, the model's geographic scope is limited to a single census tract. Platform behavior will likely differ across geographic regions, with varying demographics and sender/carrier density.

Practical implications

The modeling approach can be used to provide the manager of a volunteer-based crowd-shipping program for food rescue with insights on how to achieve a critical mass of participants, with an appropriate balance between the number of restaurant food donation delivery requests and the number of crowd-shippers available and willing to make those deliveries.

Social implications

This research can help a crowd-shipping platform for urban food rescue to grow and become self-sustainable, thereby serving more food-insecure people.

Originality/value

The model represents both senders and the carrier crowd as autonomous, heterogeneous and adaptive agents, such that network effects resulting from their interactions can emerge and be observed over time. The model was designed to study a volunteer crowd-shipping platform for food rescue, with participant motivations driven by personal values and social factors, rather than monetary incentives.

Stakeholders’ Analysis of Environmental Sustainability in Urban Logistics: A Case Study of Tricity, Poland

Environmental sustainability, defined as the responsibility to protect the global ecosystem in a holistic way, has become an integral factor of city strategies. Designing and implementing environment-friendly solutions to make the standard of living in cities better is indispensable for present and future generations. This article’s main objective is to identify the most environmentally friendly urban logistics measures from the perspective of urban transport system stakeholders. A multi-method approach was implemented to achieve the article’s main findings. Firstly, the literature review provided the basics for designing the research framework. Then, a three-layer methodological approach was used: The first layer included designing and carrying out the case study approach; the second layer comprised a Delphi study involving interviews with urban logistics stakeholders; and the third layer included analyzing the voices of Delphi interviewees to assess which urban logistics measures are the most important for them. The study provides an initial insight into the opinions of stakeholders for a general audience, but at the same time, also presents specific, detailed views of Tricity urban space users and decision-makers. Significant differences in opinions were observed and confirmed in the interviewed group. This study can contribute to the scientific discussion about the stakeholders’ analysis of urban logistics goals.

Logistics engineering optimization based on machine learning and artificial intelligence technology

In the era of the Internet of Things, smart logistics has become an important means to improve people’s life rhythm and quality of life. At present, some problems in logistics engineering have caused logistics efficiency to fail to meet people’s expected goals. Based on this, this paper proposes a logistics engineering optimization system based on machine learning and artificial intelligence technology. Moreover, based on the classifier chain and the combined classifier chain, this paper proposes an improved multi-label chain learning method for high-dimensional data. In addition, this study combines the actual needs of logistics transportation and the constraints of the logistics transportation process to use multi-objective optimization to optimize logistics engineering and output the optimal solution through an artificial intelligence model. In order to verify the effectiveness of the model, the performance of the method proposed in this paper is verified by designing a control experiment. The research results show that the logistics engineering optimization based on machine learning and artificial intelligence technology proposed in this paper has a certain practical effect.

Blockchain platforms in supply chains

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to analyze blockchain (Bc) platforms in order to expand knowledge about the functionalities applied to supply chains (SCs). Therefore, this research seeks to address what these functionalities are and whether they are aligned with the theory.

Design/methodology/approach

The research utilizes a literature review on Bc in SC (Bc-SC) and an exploratory study focusing on the developers of Bc platforms.

Findings

The research maps and synthesizes concepts and applications of the platforms for SC. The platforms involved with the development of solutions with Bc technology are relatively representative (138 found by this research, and 47 offer solutions in SC), as well as the diversity of solutions and application (101 applications), covering different activities and areas of the SC.

Research limitations/implications

Despite extensive research and data analysis, there may be other platforms and solutions not analyzed in this paper.

Practical implications

The narrative and the different examples provided contribute to managers' understanding of the different possibilities for Bc-SC. Studying the services offered by the various platforms also enables managers to better understand what options exist and could potentially be utilized.

Originality/value

This is one of the first papers in a leading international OSCM (operations and supply chain management) journal to analyze the Bc platforms in SC and thereby has its relevance by synthesizing the knowledge that is dispersed in software developers (platforms).

The impact of digital logistics start-ups on incumbent firms: a business model perspective

Purpose

Digital freight forwarder (DFF) start-ups and their associated business models have gained increasing attention within both academia and industry. However, there is a lack of empirical research investigating the differences between DFFs and traditional freight forwarders (TFF) and the impact of digital start-ups on incumbents' companies. In response, this study aims to examine the key business model characteristics that determine DFFs and TFFs and propose a framework illustrating the extent to which digital logistics start-ups influence incumbent logistics companies.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the primary data gathered from eight interviews with experts from start-ups' and incumbents' logistics companies, as well as secondary data, the authors identify the main factors of DFFs start-ups that have an impact on TFFs and analyze the similarities and differences in regard to the business model components' value proposition, value creation, value delivery and value capture.

Findings

The results show that differences between DFFs and TFFs appear in all four business models' components: value proposition, value creation, value delivery and value capture. In particular, the authors identify three main factors that need to be considered when assessing the impact of DFFs on TFFs: (1) the company size, (2) the market cultivation strategy and (3) the transport mode.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies to specifically examine the key business model differences between DFFs and TFFs and to propose a conceptual framework for understanding the impact of digital logistics start-ups on incumbent companies.

Service supply chain: from bibliometric analysis to content analysis, current research trends and future research directions

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to carry out the systematic literature review, bibliometric analysis and content analysis of extant literature of service supply chain (SSC).

Design/methodology/approach

Systematic literature review (SLR) technique was used for identifying the research papers. In the first step after reading titles, abstracts and keywords and, full-length articles wherever required, papers not related to SSC were removed. In second steps papers were read more critically and papers not related to SSC were removed. Finally on 502 papers bibliometric and content analysis was further carried out. Content analysis was based on the clusters formed by bibliographic coupling. Further, content analysis of the recent articles revealed the current research trends and research gaps.

Findings

This paper identified the six existing research diversifications in SSC as (1) logistics SSC, (2) model, framework and conceptual papers, (3) third-party logistics service providers, (4) articles from various perspective, (5) measurement of quality and performance on services and (6) impact of adoption of technology, cooperation and branding on logistics service providers. Further, six future research directions are also provided.

Practical implications

This research provides a clear view of the progression of publication, research diversification, research themes of six identified clusters, sub-themes of clusters and content analysis of each cluster. Content analysis of recent articles reveals the current research trend and future research directions.

Originality/value

This is a first of its kind of study which presents the diversification of research areas within SSC, bibliometric analysis, content analysis and provides actionable future research direction.

The Impact of E-Commerce-Related Last-Mile Logistics on Cities: A Systematic Literature Review

E-commerce-related last-mile logistics have a great impact on cities. Recent years have seen sustained growth in e-commerce in most developed countries, a trend that has only been reinforced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The perceived impact of this phenomenon varies depending upon the perspective of the players involved: individual members of the public, companies, or the public administrations. Tackling the issue from these perspectives, the goal of this article is to explore the kinds of impact this phenomenon has and will have. We use as the basis for their classification the so-called triple bottom line (TBL) of sustainability, encompassing people, planet, and profit; we complement this with the impact classification used by the European Science Foundation’s impact assessment working group. After performing a systematic review of the literature following PRISMA guidelines, our results show that, albeit to different degrees, the four impact dimensions analyzed (economic, social, environmental, and technological) have only received incipient coverage in the existing literature. Given its ever-growing importance, we believe that greater attention needs to be paid to this phenomenon, especially with regard to those aspects having the greatest impact upon urban systems and the different stakeholders involved. Only in this way can the public policies needed to mitigate these externalities be properly implemented.

Crowdsourcing for Sustainable Urban Logistics: Exploring the Factors Influencing Crowd Workers’ Participative Behavior

With crowd logistics becoming a crucial part of the last-mile delivery challenge in many cities, continued participation of crowd workers has become an essential issue affecting the growth of the crowd logistics platform. Understanding how people are motivated to continue their participation in crowd logistics can provide some clarity as to what policies and measures should be undertaken by the industry to support its further growth. Using the Push–Pull–Mooring (PPM) theory, we developed a research model to explain the factors influencing crowd workers’ participative behavior. Survey data from 455 crowd workers were analyzed using SmartPLS3.0 software. The results show monetary rewards and trust have a significant positive impact on the willingness of crowd workers to continue participating in crowd logistics, while work enjoyment from previous work and entry barriers for work have a significant negative impact. Trust plays an intermediary role between monetary incentives and crowd workers’ willingness to continue participating. Based on the findings of this study, we recommend that crowd logistics platforms should offer reasonable monetary incentives and keep these under constant review, build a high degree of trust and cooperation with their crowd workers, and initiate activities geared towards promoting satisfaction at work.

Environmental Sustainability in City Logistics Measures

Sustainable urban transport is fundamental not only for economic growth but also for the environmental protection, thus all logistics activities within the cities should be organized in a way to be environmentally friendly. The article aims at presenting the environmental sustainability of city logistics measures from different stakeholder perspectives. In the paper, a multi-method approach was implemented: literature review, text analysis, text mining, and statistical analysis. The paper presents how the stakeholders perceive urban logistics, if they see the need for coordination of its elements, who should be responsible for it, and what areas are the most important for them. The main task of this study is to recognize the priorities of different stakeholders. In consequence, the final effect of this article is an insight that is valuable not only for the local authorities but for many stakeholders, groups operating within the city that are and in many cases cooperating within the framework of creating sustainable urban mobility plans.

Priorities of Urban Transport System Stakeholders According to Crowd Logistics Solutions in City Areas. A Sustainability Perspective

This article presents assessment results for the priorities of different urban logistics stakeholders in order to launch crowd logistics (CL) solutions within a city area. Additionally, this analysis was conducted by using various dimensions of sustainable city development. The unique character of this study lies in presenting the priorities of the interviewed stakeholders. Therefore, the purpose of this publication is to analyze the priorities of various stakeholders in relation to the introduction of CL solutions within a city area. The reason for such analysis is the rapid development of a large number of sharing-economy initiatives, including services. For this study, a few methods were used to achieve the research goal. Firstly, text mining and text analysis methods were implemented to analyze the opinions of the interviewees. Then, two chi-square tests allowed us to determine whether the groups of stakeholders are statistically different or not. Finally, the AHP (analytic hierarchy process) and DEMATEL (decision making trial and evaluation laboratory) methods were applied in order to define the priorities of the stakeholders. The needs of particular groups of respondents were derived from the interview based on the questionnaire. The results of the analysis allow for defining the demand characteristics for CL solutions by presenting the areas that are crucial for particular groups of stakeholders.

Innovative solutions to increase last-mile delivery efficiency in B2C e-commerce: a literature review

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to review and classify scientific publications dealing with those innovative solutions aimed at increasing the efficiency of last-mile delivery in business to consumer (B2C) e-commerce; and, second, to outline directions for future research in this field.

Design/methodology/approach

The review is based on 75 papers published between 2001 and 2019 in international peer-reviewed journals or proceedings of conferences, retrieved from bibliographic databases and science search engines.

Findings

Due to its importance in affecting the overall logistics costs and, as a consequence, the economic sustainability of a B2C e-commerce initiative, last-mile delivery process deserves particular attention in order to be optimised. The review highlights that, among the main factors affecting its cost, there are the probability to have failed deliveries, the customer density in the delivery areas and the degree of automation of the process. Innovative and viable last-mile delivery solutions – which may impact the mentioned drivers – include parcel lockers, crowdsourcing logistics, mapping the consumer presence at home and dynamic pricing policies. Eventually, some gaps and areas for further research activities have been identified (e.g. mapping customer behaviour, crowdsourcing logistics).

Originality/value

This review offers interesting insights to both academics and practitioners. On the academic side, it analyses and classifies relevant literature about innovative and efficiency-oriented last-mile delivery solutions, proposing directions for future research efforts. On the managerial side, it presents a holistic framework of the main factors affecting last-mile delivery cost and of viable innovative solutions that may be implemented to increase efficiency.

Assessment of the Crowd Logistics Solutions—The Stakeholders’ Analysis Approach

This article presents the assessment results for crowd logistics (CL) solutions from the perspective of the needs of different stakeholders. The uniqueness of this study lies in entering these needs in the implementation of the three spheres of sustainable development in cities (social, economic, and environmental). The purpose of this publication is to present the benchmark solutions for the CL area, helping to adjust the business model and market offer of other providers to the needs of different groups of stakeholders. The reason for such valuation is the fast-paced sharing economy development in the city logistics area, as well as in the courier activity. For this study, the AHP (analytic hierarchy process) method was applied in order to develop the proposed evaluation tool of the CL initiatives. The evaluation criteria (the needs of particular groups of respondents) are derived from document-based data analysis and the primary data for the model are derived from information provided by service providers. The list of the best solutions is made for indicating benchmark brands on the market. The recommendations for managers were drawn on how to adjust solutions to the stakeholders’ needs.

A Sustainable Crowdsourced Delivery System to Foster Free-Floating Bike-Sharing

Since bicycles and bike-sharing systems are becoming increasingly important in modern transportation contexts, we suggest in this paper an alternative method to incorporate cycling among the freight transport alternatives within urban areas. We propose pursuing a sustainable initiative of crowdsourced delivery where some of the urban good deliveries may be voluntarily undertaken by users of the free-floating bike-sharing systems while following their prefixed route in exchange for some kind of reward. We believe that a network design model that allows properly allocating the resources of the bike-shared mobility service could improve the potential of crowdshipping, making it a viable support and supplement for the local postal services, and more easily accepted and adopted in urban contexts. An application to a case study has been embodied to show the effectiveness and advantages of our proposal.

Consumer participation in last-mile logistics service: an investigation on cognitions and affects

Purpose

Increasingly, the logistics industry offers innovative solutions that interact with end-consumers directly. The purpose of this paper is to examine the consumer participation behaviour in co-creating logistics service values, using self-collection via automated parcel station as an example. Built on the synthesised insights from logistics studies and behavioural theories on consumers’ attitude and affect, the effect of cognitions (what consumers think) and affects (what consumers feel) are investigated.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 500 valid responses are collected from an online panel of respondents and the data are analysed using exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling.

Findings

Consumers’ affects towards participation are stronger motivations that not only intrinsically motivate consumers to participate but also exert an indirect influence via consumers’ cognitions.

Practical implications

To elicit consumers’ affections, it is critical to create enjoyable (enjoyment), assuring (assurance) and secure (security) service experiences. On the other hand, an overly straightforward service offering (in terms of cognitive functionality), void of the aforementioned experiences, may discourage consumers from participation.

Originality/value

This research unveils consumer participation in co-creating logistics service values, contributing to studies on the emerging phenomenon of consumer logistics. A rebalancing of the logistics research from a utility-creation perspective to an experience-creation perspective has been advocated.

Crowd Logistics Platform’s Informative Support to Logistics Performance: Scale Development and Empirical Examination

Using the organization information processing theory, we explored the process through which the informative support of crowd logistics platforms affects logistics performance. After collecting data from 321 respondents from two crowd logistics companies in China, we proposed and tested the theoretical framework empirically using SEM. To conduct the empirical study, we developed scales for platform’s informative support and the degree of logistics resources-demand match, respectively. The results indicate that a platform’s informative support improves logistics performance via two mediators, i.e., logistics resources-demand match and logistics agility. Moreover, a platform’s ease of use moderates the indirect process through which its informative support promotes logistics performance via logistics resources-demand match. However, a platform’s ease of use has no significant effect on the indirect process of its informative support affecting logistics performance via logistics agility. This paper extends our understanding on how the informative support of crowd logistics platforms predicts logistics performance.

A typology of logistics at work in collaborative consumption

Purpose

The growth of collaborative consumption is beginning to stimulate management research on this phenomenon. However, so far, few scholars have studied the logistics aspects related to these developments. The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual approach to the logistics at work in collaborative consumption.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors adopt an inductive, exploratory research method, based on a content analysis involving 32 collaborative consumption initiatives screened through their websites and other secondary sources.

Findings

Based on the way logistics is organized in these initiatives, the authors identify and describe four types of logistics: peer to peer, business, crowd, and open logistics.

Practical implications

The paper makes recommendations for improving the management of collaborative consumption logistics.

Originality/value

Our results enrich the literature about crowd practices and collaborative consumption by conceptualizing alternative roles played by logistics and revealing its specific organizational forms.