Dark stores in the City of Light: Geographical and transportation impacts of ‘quick commerce’ in Paris

Abstract

Food e-commerce has long remained a limited phenomenon, which only changed noticeably during the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only did more consumers take advantage of the options offered online, it also prompted the launch of many food delivery start-ups around the world. Quick commerce in particular, offering grocery deliveries within twenty minutes or less, attracted significant sums of venture capital, alongside criticism from urban administrations and communities for the nuisances caused. Indeed, to offer instant grocery deliveries, quick commerce companies rely on a tightknit network of small, store-like warehouses, called ‘dark stores’, and a readily available vehicle fleet and staff. While plenty of ink has flowed about the urban implications of quick commerce in the press, a thorough scientific analysis lacks. To objectify and quantify the nuisances generated by quick commerce, we study geographical dimensions and transportation activities in Paris. By means of a press review, expert interviews, field observations and a cartography, we detail a supply chain consisting of various facility types; demonstrate the transportation-intensity of dark stores consisting mainly of electric two-wheelers; problematize the public space consumed by the vehicles in particular; and contrast the ultimately limited network of dark stores relative to traditional food retail.