###### Abstract  
One of the most challenging problems in last mile logistics (LML) has been the strategic delivery due to various market risks and opportunities. This paper provides a systematic review of LML-related studies to find current issues and future opportunities for the LML service industry. To that end, 169 works were selected as target studies for in-depth analysis of recent LML advances. First, text mining analysis was performed to effectively understand the underlying LML themes in the target studies. Then, the novel definition and typology of LML delivery services were suggested. Finally, this paper proposed the next generation of LML research through advanced delivery techniques based LML services, environmentally sustainable LML systems, improvement of LML operations in real industries, effective management of uncertainties in LML, and LML delivery services for decentralized manufacturing services. We believe that this systematic literature review can serve as a useful tool for LML decision makers and stakeholders. last mile logistics; systematic literature review; last mile logistics innovation; logistics system design; logistics service characterization +
Footnote †: journal: Medical  
Issues in LML can be viewed from various geographical dimensions of logistics. Many consumers in urban areas require same-day and on-demand delivery services that involve LML for groceries, prepared meals, and retail purchases as LML can provide customers with convenience and flexibility [13]. Furthermore, LML suppliers in urban areas have experienced many challenges such as traffic congestion, limited delivery time, service regulations, inefficient delivery vehicle routing, and inappropriate supply chain network design [4; 14; 15]. Consequently, urban logistics should be addressed to enhance the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of LML [11]. Many reports have presented that economic growth, improvement of environmental sustainability, resolution of urban unemployment, safe urban freight transport, and regional economy development are particularly related to LML [10]. As such, an appropriate design for city logistics is considered essential to improve welfare in society [16]. For instance, the first mile in a city and the last mile to the final consignee can be operated by conventional trucks and environmentally friendly city freighters or technology-advanced delivery cars, respectively [17]. Furthermore, the high demand of LML delivery services has increased complexity in design of urban logistics [14; 18]. In 2014, 54% of the world population already lived in cities or urban areas, and by 2050 a projected two thirds will be urban [19]. This means that more than six billion people globally will live in urban areas, which leads to great pressure on all aspects of urban planning, including LML [20]. The necessity of LML clearly shows that the overarching objective of LML efforts is to elevate the prosperityityityity logistics while alleviating their emerging negative consequences [10; 12]. In this regard, existing LML-related studies have provided a wide variety of approaches to solve last mile problems in urban areas. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive and structured review of recent studies relevant to LML and focuses on operational as well as technological aspects. Our state-of-the-art review identifies various potentials and opportunities associated with LML-related research. Although individual studies have successively achieved the ultimate goal of LML, they tend to provide redundant and ambiguous concepts across critical LML terminology defined by different contexts and properties in supply chain management. In other words, there has been no widely agreed upon framework to characterize LML and its innovations in a supply chain, and only a few studies have investigated the conceptualization of LML to contemplate a comprehensive framework for practical LML services.