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

Received: 03 Apr 2019
Accepted: 22 May 2020
Published online: 08 Mar 2021 *

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