Purpose The growth of e-commerce is accompanied by an increasing distribution of parcels in cities resulting in externalities like traffic congestion or emissions. As a consequence, different delivery concepts like bike deliveries or delivery points have been suggested. Naturally, companies will only accept these changes, if they do not result in higher costs. However, it is difficult to predict the impact of a certain delivery concept in a certain city. This leads to the research question, how different delivery scenarios for a certain area can be assessed and compared, especially if some of them have not been implemented. Methods Using a case study, we demonstrate how the effects of different delivery concepts can be quantified with the help of a simulation study. We take care to accurately model the delivery processes and utilise a real-world dataset and realistic cost values. On the basis of these inputs, we simulate and analyse the current state-of-the-practice in the distribution of e-commerce goods in Antwerp and compare it to possible`what-if' scenarios. Results The results highlight that the investigated delivery concepts can benefit either the companies or the quality of life in the city. Operational costs of companies can be reduced by stimulating customer self-pick-up, while externalities decrease with the implementation of a cargo bike distribution system. Conclusions We demonstrate that both operational and external costs can be minimised, if involved stakeholders from industry and the public look for sustainable delivery solution jointly.

Supply chains, logistics and freight have been facing increasingly complex challenges posed by transitions in economic structures, urbanization, city design and transport systems, as well as by the externalities associated with logistics activities in urban areas. This has driven a great deal of research recently. Yet, there are no sufficient contributions clarifying the current state of thought in this field. This article critically reviews the literature highlighting current approaches in the field. The objective of the article is threefold. First, to provide a framework with geographical and functional elements of urban logistics. Second, to identify the scope of the literature, vested into a typology. And third, to define the terms that may embrace the various analytical interests of the urban logistics field, namely city logistics, urban goods distribution and last mile logistics. The aim is to contribute to organize the current and future thought in the field of urban logistics.

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The article studies the development of crowd shipping technologies in the Old Town of Bratislava. The paper aims to assess the potential for implementation of the crowdsourcing technology in the transport system of Bratislava. Methodology: An interview with the entrepreneurs in this area was conducted to assess the potential demand. In the survey, we collected information about type of goods; operations, quantities, and frequency of delivery; willingness to pay for one delivery among others. Based on the results, the freight demand, and its characteristics were assessed. The second part of the paper is devoted to assessing the supply of logistics to meet the demand. A survey of the willingness of ordinary travelers to work as an occasional courier was conducted. In the end, the equilibrium of demand and supply in the crowd shipping market in Bratislava is presented. The regression and correlation analysis were performed to understand the relationship between parameters of demand and delivery quantities in the first part of the research, sociodemographic characteristics of nonprofessional couriers, and the maximum weight of the parcel nonprofessional couriers agree to delivery. The willingness to pay per delivery was determined for respondents of different genders. Key findings: The results of the survey allowed us to estimate the freight demand for the Old Town of Bratislava, as well as to understand the needs of potential demand for crowd shipping services. The results of the second questionnaire show the sociodemographic characteristics of nonprofessional couriers (age, gender, gender, income, travel time) significantly influence the decision to participate in the delivery market.