Impacts of COVID-19 on Logistics Service Providers’ Operations: An Italian Empirical Study

The lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic between 2020 and 2021 resulted in a substantial increase in e-commerce purchases, with the consequent growth of logistics services. Thus, this paper is aimed at studying the effects of the pandemic on the operational processes of logistics service provid...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sustainability 2024-01, Vol.16 (1), p.208
Main Authors: Zenezini, Giovanni, Cagliano, Anna Corinna, Mangano, Giulio, Rafele, Carlo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Business to business commerce
Competitive advantage
Costs
COVID-19
Digitization
Electronic commerce
Epidemics
Forecasts and trends
Literature reviews
Logistics
Logistics services
Pandemics
Product returns
Questionnaires
Supply chains
Surveys
Transportation services
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Summary:The lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic between 2020 and 2021 resulted in a substantial increase in e-commerce purchases, with the consequent growth of logistics services. Thus, this paper is aimed at studying the effects of the pandemic on the operational processes of logistics service providers. To this end, a survey questionnaire was developed and administered to a sample of identified respondents. The collected data were quantitatively analyzed via the Kruskal–Wallis test. The outcomes point out that logistics operators faced an increase in the distances traveled to carry out pick-up and delivery activities, and larger companies added more light vehicles to their fleets, proving that the company size was a relevant aspect of ensuring a quick response to the pandemic. These results show an increased business-to-consumer market share that is leading to a redesign toward more sustainable operational strategies.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su16010208