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Title: E-grocery of tomorrow: home delivery of food between profitability, customer acceptance and ecological footprint

Authors: Maik Trott; Marvin Auf Der Landwehr; Christoph Von Viebahn

Addresses: Hochschule Hannover, Faculty IV - Business and Computer Science, Ricklinger Stadtweg 120, 30459 Hannover, Germany ' Hochschule Hannover, Faculty IV - Business and Computer Science, Ricklinger Stadtweg 120, 30459 Hannover, Germany ' Hochschule Hannover, Faculty IV - Business and Computer Science, Ricklinger Stadtweg 120, 30459 Hannover, Germany

Abstract: In this article, we present simulation results on the environmental impact of stationary grocery shopping and home delivery in terms of CO2 emissions in four representative city districts in Hanover. Input parameters and comparison variables are based on a comprehensive literature review on grocery shopping behaviour, e-grocery delivery terms and framework conditions in Germany, while several usage scenarios aid in reproducing a realistic system set-up, ultimately allowing to quantify the CO2 emission reduction potential through the implementation/amplification of e-grocery home delivery strategies. In order to assess and quantify the respective ecological impact of different grocery shopping activities, we developed a sophisticated agent-based simulation model. Depending on the individual behavioural scenario, multiple simulation runs employing centralised shipping of e-grocery orders from a food fulfilment centre into a metropolitan area like Hanover have yielded that e-grocery can cause up to 11% less CO2 emissions. Nevertheless, to be able to achieve significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in different behavioural settings, system-level innovations and more efficient delivery concepts are required.

Keywords: e-grocery; home delivery of food; customer acceptance; simulation model; urban logistics; city logistics; urban transportation planning; stationary grocery retail; food fulfilment centre.

DOI: 10.1504/WRITR.2021.113488

World Review of Intermodal Transportation Research, 2021 Vol.10 No.1, pp.46 - 64

Accepted: 22 May 2020
Published online: 08 Mar 2021 *

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