## 4 Discussion  
Although awareness of the PUS network was high (83.4%) among the participants, monthly usage was modest (21.6%). Clothing and footwear emerged as the most common items collected at PUPs, while pet supplies and home decor were the least common. Based on the participants' replies, convenience was a significant factor in their decisions, while proximity to home, lower delivery costs, and flexible pick-up times ranked as the top criteria for PUP selection. Notably, over 85% of the participants expressed their satisfaction with the speed of goods delivered by using PUPs and recognized the environmental benefits when compared to the traditional home delivery policy. However, the participants raised security concerns; 20.4% of them expressed insecurity while using PUPs, a percentage which must be taken into consideration in order to better understand the reasons and, through targeted actions, eliminate them. It is worth mentioning that age is a demographic factor influencing PUPs' usage. Even in the Italian case, the results are interesting. A high percentage of people are aware of the existing network of PUPs (87%), like the Greek case, although the percentage of monthly users is higher (40.3%). Based on the poll's results, \"Clothing and fashion items\" was indicated as the most purchased product type; on the other hand, \"Pet supplies\" and \"Sports and outdoor equipment\" were the least requested product categories. In this sense, it is noted that, in both the Greek and Italian cases, the most widespread category and the least widespread category were similar. These results are also in line with European data, where clothing is always among the most-sold categories [41]. More than 80% of respondents in the Italian case instead indicated distance from home as the main criterion for utilizing pick-up points. This shows how the target users are interested in minimizing travel; these users could be more interested in the original function of e-commerce, which involves home delivery. Only 10.7% of respondents believed that traditional home delivery has a better environmental impact than pick-up points; in this sense, the percentages between the two analyzed cases are similar. Similarly, 85.7% of respondents said they felt secure at pick-up points; the minority who said the opposite represents a basis on which to evaluate any subsequent research to investigate the reasons for this. It should be considered that the percentages are, overall, similar between the two cases studied. Intriguingly, the research revealed an interplay between age, gender, income, and PUP usage. Younger demographics, potentially due to their more flexible lifestyles, exhibited lower overall PUP utilization rates. Furthermore, they ascribed less environmental value to PUPs compared to their older counterparts. It can be assumed that this could be attributed to a heightened awareness of environmental issues among older generations of a difference in how environmental impact is perceived across age groups. The results of the Italian case study showed similar results. While age and use of pick-up points showed a non-linear relationship, weekly use of pick-up points decreased. Similarly, a certain awareness of the better environmental impact of pick-up points compared to traditional delivery was more widespread among young people. The research also unveiled gender-based disparities in PUP selection criteria. Men prioritized the flexibility of pick-up times, potentially reflecting busier schedules and a greater need to accommodate work or social commitments. Conversely, for older adults and individuals with lower incomes, proximity to home emerged as the most critical factor. In this case, it can be strongly assumed that this is due to limitations in mobility or a greater reliance on walking or public transportation as a cheaper way to move. In terms of criteria for choosing points, the Italian results differed from the Greek ones.