Problem Description: Home deliveries are the preferred delivery option of online consumers but they are not sustainable in the long term. They are very expensive and increase freight traffic while not necessarily decreasing shopping travel. Deliveries to a locker in an automated parcel station (APS) could be a more sustainable alternative but this solution is not very popular. Only a small percentage of online consumers had at least one delivery delivered to such a locker in 2015. This thesis investigates: a) how citizens perceive this solution, b) what they like and dislike about it, c) how their perception depends on their location and availability, d) what is the role of ancillary services linked to this type of delivery. The candidate will have to define and carry out a filed survey to acquire the necessary data and elaborate them to determine the main drivers capable of explaining consumers’ perception of this delivery/pickup technique. The results derived will be useful to determine the relative attractiveness of the delivery/pickup technique with respect to various e-commerce-related items and, possibly, estimate the environmental, economic and financial implications this might have.

The goal is to provide support for decision making by offering a consumer perspective. From this perspective, the thesis should provide recommendations of how public procurement of parcel lockers can be conducted, in terms of developing specifications.

2020-2021 Master Thesis

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