Estimation of Changes in Customer’s Mobility Behaviour by the Use of Parcel Lockers

The last mile is the most inefficient and most expensive part of a supply chain and comprises up to 55% of total delivery costs (Moder, 2009). A system of parcel lockers operated by a non-competing company, open to any logistic service provider can contribute to make goods distribution and the last mile more sustainable. The research project “Skalierbares, offenes Waren-Austausch-System” (SoWAS) investigates the development of such a system and will evaluate generated changes in customer’s mobility behaviour by an online panel survey in a living lab area. This paper presents the approach of an online panel survey and its first application on two person groups. The earliest results give first interesting and precise insights into customer’s mobility behaviour concerning received and dispatched/returned parcels – a field with poor available data. Based on the collected data we estimated a reduction potential of 27% for emissions and vehicle kilometres per picked-up/dropped off parcel. Furthermore, a modal shift of 12% from car to environmental friendly transport modes is possible due to the introduction of a parcel locker system.