Investigating the potential for off-hour deliveries in the city of Rome: Retailers’ perceptions and stated reactions

This paper investigates the potential for off-hour deliveries in the city of Rome. It focuses on retailers that play a fundamental role in the decision making process often determining delivery times. It explores their preferences for three off-hour delivery prototypes and inquires retailers’ willingness to adopt them, both with and without the provision of dedicated incentives. Finally, it analyses retailers’ reactions to a hypothetical scenario where a mandatory off-hour delivery policy is imposed. The overall results show a good inclination towards off-hour deliveries. This induces optimism with respect to their potential introduction as well as skepticism about the lack of attention local decision makers have, so far, paid to this policy option.

Marcucci E., Gatta V. (2017), “Investigating the potential for off-hour deliveries in the city of Rome: Retailers’ perceptions and stated reactions”, Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 102, 142-156