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Investigating the return cost for B2C e-commerce
Citation Link: https://doi.org/10.15480/882.3999
Publikationstyp
Conference Paper
Date Issued
2021-12-01
Sprache
English
Herausgeber*innen
TORE-DOI
First published in
Number in series
32
Start Page
169
End Page
192
Citation
Hamburg International Conference of Logistics (HICL) 32: 169-192 (2021)
Contribution to Conference
Publisher
epubli
Peer Reviewed
true
Purpose: Online sales have significantly increased, especially in the realm of the COVID emergency. For B2C e-commerce, reverse logistics is critical: it strongly impacts the willingness of customers to buy online, but it is very expensive for online players, who are striving to find ways to reduce the associated costs. This work aims to define a measure of the return cost and to investigate the main factors affecting it.
Methodology: This work combines analytical modelling and simulation. The model allows to represent the reverse logistics process and to define the associated cost; simulation is used in testing the model and analysing different scenarios. The used data were collected from both primary and secondary sources.
Findings: The return cost includes three main components (usage of the van, time spent by the driver to travel and to perform collection activities). The application of the model to Milan (Italy) resulted in an average unitary return cost of 2.78€. The variables impacting the most on this cost are the collection density and the travel speed.
Originality: This research is a first attempt to propose a measure for the cost of B2C e-commerce returns, and to analytically investigate the variables having the greatest impact in determining such cost.
Methodology: This work combines analytical modelling and simulation. The model allows to represent the reverse logistics process and to define the associated cost; simulation is used in testing the model and analysing different scenarios. The used data were collected from both primary and secondary sources.
Findings: The return cost includes three main components (usage of the van, time spent by the driver to travel and to perform collection activities). The application of the model to Milan (Italy) resulted in an average unitary return cost of 2.78€. The variables impacting the most on this cost are the collection density and the travel speed.
Originality: This research is a first attempt to propose a measure for the cost of B2C e-commerce returns, and to analytically investigate the variables having the greatest impact in determining such cost.
Subjects
City Logistics
DDC Class
330: Wirtschaft
Publication version
publishedVersion
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Name
Seghezzi et al. (2021) - Investigating the Return Cost for B2C e-commerce.pdf
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1.08 MB
Format
Adobe PDF