E-grocery of tomorrow: home delivery of food between profitability, customer acceptance and ecological footprint
by Maik Trott; Marvin Auf Der Landwehr; Christoph Von Viebahn
World Review of Intermodal Transportation Research (WRITR), Vol. 10, No. 1, 2021

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.

Online publication date: Mon, 08-Mar-2021

Free full text access

If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com