Transport and Delivery Systems

Transport and delivery systems have seen dramatic changes over the last 20 years. The expansion of online selling/buying since 2000 has intensified competition among delivery companies. The progress in mobile and Internet technologies has prompted retailers operating bricks-and-mortar (BM) stores to adopt a sales strategy that combines in-store selling with online marketing, known as "omnichannel retailing." The growth in online shopping is aggravating the problem of redeliveries that occur when parcel recipients are absent at the time of initial delivery. Recently, the problem of a shortage of transport and delivery workers has also been getting worse.This book introduces transport and delivery systems that can be effective for adapting to the above-mentioned changes. The authors hope that the content of this book will be helpful for those who are engaged in research and development of future transport and delivery systems.