Last Mile, E-Commerce and Sales Logistics
A section of Logistics (ISSN 2305-6290).
Section Information
In today’s networked economy, e-commerce, last-mile logistics, and sales logistics are reshaping the business landscape together. Specifically, as online retail services increase price transparency, variety, and convenience, e-commerce drives the nation’s GDP growth by expanding market access for firms of all sizes, especially multinational firms (MNFs) that can sell globally without brick-and-mortar stores. The rapid growth of e-commerce is driving last-mile logistics that require unit-level, high-frequency, and direct business-to-customer (B2C) shipments. Given that last-mile logistics typically accounts for 40–60% of total delivery costs, managing last-mile logistics dictates the e-tailer’s profitability and subsequent business success. Last-mile logistics efficiency is now a competitive differentiator, not just a daily, routine operational task, since it strongly influences customer satisfaction, brand loyalty, and repeat purchases. In addition, sales logistics connects online customer demand with physical product flow, ensuring the “right product, right place, right time” rule. As such, sales logistics adds value to the customer order fulfillment process, ensuring reliable, flexible, and accurate delivery.
This section of Logistics aims to enhance the knowledge base on the integration of e-commerce, last-mile, and sales logistics. Special topics of interest include the development of conceptual and analytical models and theories addressing delivery density and congestion in urban settings, product returns, last-mile delivery route/schedule optimization, parcel locker establishment, delivery service provider outsourcing/selection, platform-based logistics network design, digitalization, automation, and sustainability initiatives for last-mile and sales logistics operations.
