Consolidation through resourcing in last-mile logistics

Abstract

This paper assesses how various ways of organizing last-mile logistics impact resource utilization, and, in turn, opportunities for consolidating goods. The paper combines a conceptualization of resourcing and consolidation derived from the literature with an analysis of contemporary last-mile logistics options in the Swedish retail market. Based on the analysis of three forms of last-mile logistics—consumer logistics, retailer logistics, and hybrid logistics—the paper discusses how resourcing for fixed, mobile, and coordination resources can enable consolidation in terms of time, place, and form. Drawing from the Swedish context, the paper calls for additional research combining country-specific studies while examining similarities and differences in last-mile logistics, particularly concerning factors that enable or hinder consolidation as well as how such potentials are realized in practice. Although consolidation clearly appears in the rich literature on last-mile logistics, this paper focuses on how consolidation can be achieved through resourcing and offers additional insights into current frameworks for last-mile logistics in retailing.