Locational factors of logistics platforms in the era of e-commerce: a preliminary assessment from the Spanish case

Abstract

Urban and logistics sprawl have been widely reported in the last decades, revealing major changes in land use patterns. The importance of being in central locations has notoriously evolved. Besides, the rise of e-commerce is changing the way distribution centres used to be. Warehouses have evolved into e-fulfilment centres, changing their inner layout but also their preferred location. With that in mind, our paper explores the locational factors of logistics platforms in Spain. With a database of about 4,500 facilities, we correlate the number of logistics platforms in each municipality with the most influential locational factors: transport infrastructure, demographic characteristics, availability of land, land taxes, level of education, and the administrative status. The results reinforce the importance of transport infrastructure and the relative location regarding urban metropolises.