Emerging issues surrounding same-day logistics : from customer, retailer and carrier perspectives

This project investigates how collaboration can extend the efficiencies in the UK logistics sector to deliver successful same-day parcel delivery services through Electronic Logistics Marketplaces (ELMs). This investigation is attributable to the increasing demand for same-day courier services resulting from innovative retail competition and the increasing adoption of technology. A triad of carriers, shippers and customers with a Technology Service Provider (TSP) as the inter-relationship facilitator are identified as the key players, and are studied through a mixed method approach that incorporates both quantitative and qualitative research methods. A careful review of literature and the qualitative thematic expert analysis of carriers and shippers identified a series of developments such as growing customer awareness, increasing adoption of e-commerce by customers and shippers, and radical innovative competitive strategies that led to the increasing demand for same-day courier services. The attempt to validate the assumptions gained from the literature review about customers’ attitudes, through the expert (shippers and carriers) analysis, prompted the need for further investigation into customers’ preferences. The quantitative examination of customers’ attitudes, through a survey with a sample size of 1185, allowed for the testing of four hypotheses: i. The more customers shop online, the more enthusiastic they are about speedy delivery. ii. The more frequently customers shop on-line, the less they are willing to pay a premium for delivery. iii. The greater customers’ desire for express delivery, the more they are willing to pay a premium charge. iv. There is no support for home delivery preference over alternative delivery types, regardless of a customer’s economic status. The most striking findings were ‘even though customers rated delivery speed as important, they will not embrace same-day delivery services at a high premium, but will pay between £0 and £5’. The findings also upheld the expert view that customers are not responsible for the increase in demand for same-day courier services. The expert interviews indicate vertical integration or partnership as a source of competitive advantage for the large players, and that the recent adoption of same-day delivery as a competitive strategy by giant e-tailers/ top online retailers (TORs), including Amazon and Argos, has put large carriers under pressure to innovate, and will leave small and medium carriers and shippers struggling to meet increased customer expectations. Consequently, an innovative and intelligent collaboration platform is identified as the key tool to boost efficiencies and alleviate the challenges that the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) face. The project concludes that firm size influences business strategies, and large carriers stand a better chance of adapting to changes in the logistics sector through vertical integration or partnership. As a contribution to knowledge, the project reveals a relationship between technology development and the rapid evolution of business models, and that large carriers should drive development of an intelligent platform to enable a wider logistics network by integrating small and medium sized carriers, e.g. ELMs with effective consolidation, collaboration and integrating features. Based on this, a series of conceptual logistics business models and strategies have been designed to suit different business needs and sizes for national small parcel same-day and cost-effective courier services.