REVIEW article
Front. Future Transp.
Sec. Freight Transport and Logistics
Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/ffutr.2025.1654621
Parcel locker solutions for last mile delivery: A systematic literature review and future research directions
Provisionally accepted
- 1Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
- 2Cardiff University Business School, Cardiff, United Kingdom
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The rapid growth of online shopping has increased customer demand for efficient logistics and last mile delivery. Parcel lockers (PLs) offer a promising solution by integrating digital technology with secure parcel handling, reducing delivery bottlenecks and traffic congestion while optimizing personnel utilization and improving efficiency. We conduct a systematic review of the literature on PL research, with a particular focus on its impact on cost reduction, operational efficiency, and sustainability. Most existing research on PL networks is heavily concentrated on determining optimal locations and developing efficient routing strategies. That said, some scholars have also explored other operational challenges, such as incorporating dynamic factors and diverse delivery capabilities into PL systems. This study identifies research gaps, such as the lack of empirical studies on mobile PLs and their integration with other urban logistics systems, and offers directions for future research.These findings contribute to understanding the potential of PL systems in advancing more efficient and sustainable last mile delivery solutions.
Keywords: Parcel locker, Last mile delivery, sustainability, AI Technology, Systematic Literature Review
Received: 26 Jun 2025; Accepted: 08 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhang and Demir. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Qiruo Zhang, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.