Self-service parcel delivery as an innovative solution to service failures of cargo delivery

Abstract

There is a remarkable development of e-commerce volume after the 2000s. Due to the pandemic period, the share of e-commerce is expected to continue with an acceleration higher than presumed. On the other hand, cargo distribution companies cannot respond to this growing momentum by making the necessary investments at the same pace and providing the quality expected by the customer. Last mile delivery to customer constitutes an important part of the total cost in the cargo logistics. Moreover, cargo that cannot be delivered for the first time increases the delivery cost, while seriously damaging customer satisfaction and environmental sustainability. Thus, all these changes and the increasing importance of cargo deliveries in logistics force cargo companies to find more innovative solutions to be competitive in the market. One of the most discussed approaches in recent years regarding the delivery of cargo to the customer is self-service parcel delivery solutions that make the customer a part of the delivery process. Customers using this type of service take their packages from an automated locker system or attended self-collection option, which can be a local shop such as a gas station, by the messages they receive through technology-based tracking systems. These methods are being applied in developed countries in recent years, they are still in their infancy stage, and the being awareness in the Turkey market is very low.