E-Groceries: A Channel Choice Analysis in Shanghai

Valerio Gatta, Edoardo Marcucci, Ila Maltese, Gabriele Iannaccone and Jiarui Fan
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Valerio Gatta: Transport Research Lab (TRElab), Roma Tre University, Via Gabriello Chiabrera 199, 00145 Rome, Italy
Edoardo Marcucci: Transport Research Lab (TRElab), Roma Tre University, Via Gabriello Chiabrera 199, 00145 Rome, Italy
Ila Maltese: Transport Research Lab (TRElab), Roma Tre University, Via Gabriello Chiabrera 199, 00145 Rome, Italy
Gabriele Iannaccone: Transport Research Lab (TRElab), Roma Tre University, Via Gabriello Chiabrera 199, 00145 Rome, Italy
Jiarui Fan: Transport Research Lab (TRElab), Roma Tre University, Via Gabriello Chiabrera 199, 00145 Rome, Italy

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 7, 1-18

Abstract: E-grocery is becoming more and more popular, involving both pure e-commerce players and physical stores in its development and sales. As a consequence, the last mile delivery model has been heavily modified, with ambiguous final impact on the environment. This paper identifies the key elements germane to e-grocery (demand and supply), discusses e-grocery development and investigates the challenges ahead. In more detail, it presents the results of a stated preference survey on consumers’ channel choices for the grocery market. The survey was carried out in Shanghai (China) in order to investigate different purchase attributes, such as product and delivery service price, product range, lead time, time window and travel time. The paper identifies heterogeneous reactions to alternative service configurations, which allows to estimate market shares for e-grocery, with the in-store option as a reference. Policy implications and operational solutions to improve the sustainability of this renewed last mile delivery model are thus proposed.

Keywords: e-grocery; last mile delivery; home delivery; City Logistics; urban freight transport; stated preference; discrete choice modeling; consumer behaviour; e-commerce; channel choice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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