IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/trapol/v171y2025icp986-995.html

Prompting pickup from parcel lockers: A reward-punishment strategy

Author

Listed:
  • Wang, Yang
  • Yang, Ruixue
  • Xiao, Yu
  • Lai, Jianhui
  • Holguín-Veras, José

Abstract

Parcel lockers can effectively enhance last-mile delivery by providing carriers and posts automation and parcel consolidation in the face of growing parcel volumes. However, a backlog can develop when parcels remain in lockers for extended periods. To address this issue, we propose a reward-punishment strategy to incentivize prompt parcel collection. A survey was conducted to evaluate incentives in the form of monetary rewards and overtime charges. Using the survey data, a Cox Proportional Hazard Regression model was developed to analyze parcel survival in lockers over time. Results indicate that the proposed strategy significantly encourages prompt collection of parcels. However, overtime charges can act as a double-edged sword, prompting early collection yet potentially dissuading some customers. To model customer retention while considering the impact of overtime charges, a Binary Logit choice model was developed. Additionally, a two-step clustering method was employed to categorize customers based on their sensitivity to the proposed strategy. Elderly retired customers purchasing daily necessities were the most responsive, while young non-regular employees and students showed minimal response. These models and associated findings can facilitate the development of more practical incentive implementations.

Suggested Citation

  • Wang, Yang & Yang, Ruixue & Xiao, Yu & Lai, Jianhui & Holguín-Veras, José, 2025. "Prompting pickup from parcel lockers: A reward-punishment strategy," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 986-995.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:171:y:2025:i:c:p:986-995
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2025.07.032
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967070X25002859
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.tranpol.2025.07.032?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Holguín-Veras, José & Amaya Leal, Johanna & Sanchez-Diaz, Ivan & Browne, Michael & Wojtowicz, Jeffrey, 2020. "State of the art and practice of urban freight management Part II: Financial approaches, logistics, and demand management," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 383-410.
    2. Yu, Yaoqin & Lian, Feng & Yang, Zhongzhen, 2021. "Pricing of parcel locker service in urban logistics by a TSP model of last-mile delivery," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 206-214.
    3. Kim, Woojung & Wang, Xiaokun Cara, 2022. "The adoption of alternative delivery locations in New York City: Who and how far?," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 127-140.
    4. Leung, Abraham & Lachapelle, Ugo & Burke, Matthew, 2023. "Spatio-temporal analysis of Australia Post parcel locker use during the initial system growth phase in Queensland (2013–2017)," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    5. Ma, Bohao & Teo, Chee-Chong & Wong, Yiik Diew, 2024. "Location analysis of parcel locker Network: Effects of spatial characteristics on operational performance," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    6. Tang, Yuk Ming & Chau, Ka Yin & Xu, Duo & Liu, Xiaoyun, 2021. "Consumer perceptions to support IoT based smart parcel locker logistics in China," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    7. dell’Olio, Luigi & Moura, Jose Luis & Ibeas, Angel & Cordera, Ruben & Holguin-Veras, Jose, 2017. "Receivers’ willingness-to-adopt novel urban goods distribution practices," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 130-141.
    8. Lin, Yun Hui & Wang, Yuan & He, Dongdong & Lee, Loo Hay, 2020. "Last-mile delivery: Optimal locker location under multinomial logit choice model," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    9. Samyukta Sethuraman & Ankur Bansal & Setareh Mardan & Mauricio G. C. Resende & Timothy L. Jacobs, 2024. "Amazon Locker Capacity Management," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 54(6), pages 455-470, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sina Mohri, Seyed & Ghaderi, Hadi & Van Woensel, Tom & Mohammadi, Mehrdad & Nassir, Neema & Thompson, Russell G., 2024. "Contextualizing alternative delivery points in last mile delivery," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    2. Kahr, Michael, 2022. "Determining locations and layouts for parcel lockers to support supply chain viability at the last mile," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    3. Roberta Alves & Renato da Silva Lima & Leise Kelli De Oliveira & Alexandre Ferreira de Pinho, 2022. "Conceptual Framework for Evaluating E-Commerce Deliveries Using Agent-Based Modelling and Sensitivity Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-18, November.
    4. Kundu, Tanmoy & Goh, Mark & Choi, Tsan-Ming, 2025. "Home delivery vs. out-of-home delivery: Syncretic value-based strategies for urban last-mile e-commerce logistics," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    5. Kim, Woojung & Wang, Xiaokun Cara, 2022. "The adoption of alternative delivery locations in New York City: Who and how far?," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 127-140.
    6. Ma, Bohao & Teo, Chee-Chong & Wong, Yiik Diew, 2024. "Location analysis of parcel locker Network: Effects of spatial characteristics on operational performance," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    7. Sears, Sean & Moataz, Mohamed & Ferguson, Mark & Razavi, Saiedeh & Páez, Antonio, 2022. "Perceived barriers to the movement of goods in Canada: A grounded theory investigation," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 27-45.
    8. Samani, Ali Riahi & Talebian, Ahmadreza & Mishra, Sabyasachee & Golias, Mihalis, 2025. "Evaluating consumer shopping, delivery demands, and last-mile preferences: An integrated MDCEV-HCM approach," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    9. Bose, Sarmee & Mukherjee, Shashi Bajaj & Dey, Bikash Koli & Sarkar, Biswajit, 2024. "Continuous increasing consumer service for multi-item dual-channel retail management," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    10. Fadda, Edoardo & Manerba, Daniele & Cabodi, Gianpiero & Camurati, Paolo Enrico & Tadei, Roberto, 2021. "Comparative analysis of models and performance indicators for optimal service facility location," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    11. Li, Zhaotong & Wu, Min & Teo, Chee-Chong & Yuen, Kum Fai, 2024. "An investigation of consumer switching intention on the use of automated courier station from a signaling perspective," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    12. Leise Kelli de Oliveira & Carla de Oliveira Leite Nascimento & Paulo Renato de Sousa & Paulo Tarso Vilela de Resende & Francisco Gildemir Ferreira da Silva, 2019. "Transport Service Provider Perception of Barriers and Urban Freight Policies in Brazil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-17, December.
    13. Ning Huan & Stephane Hess & Enjian Yao, 2022. "Understanding the effects of travel demand management on metro commuters’ behavioural loyalty: a hybrid choice modelling approach," Transportation, Springer, vol. 49(2), pages 343-372, April.
    14. Leung, Abraham & Lachapelle, Ugo & Burke, Matthew, 2023. "Spatio-temporal analysis of Australia Post parcel locker use during the initial system growth phase in Queensland (2013–2017)," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    15. Mepparambath, Rakhi Manohar & Cheah, Lynette & Courcoubetis, Costas, 2021. "A theoretical framework to evaluate the traffic impact of urban freight consolidation centres," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    16. Choudhry, Arnav & Qian, Sean, 2024. "Quantification of truck accessibility in urban last-mile deliveries using GPS probe data," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    17. Ji, Yuxiong & Zhou, Minhang & Zheng, Yujing & Shen, Yu & Du, Yuchuan, 2024. "Urban passenger-and-package sharing transportation by e-hailing taxis: A simulation-based pricing analysis in shanghai," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 138-151.
    18. Aljohani, Khalid & Thompson, Russell G., 2021. "Modelling individual preferences of goods receivers for a Receiver-led delivery consolidation service," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 74-94.
    19. Kahalimoghadam, Masoud & Thompson, Russell G. & Rajabifard, Abbas, 2024. "Determining the number and location of micro-consolidation centres as a solution to growing e-commerce demand," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    20. dos Santos, André Gustavo & Viana, Ana & Pedroso, João Pedro, 2022. "2-echelon lastmile delivery with lockers and occasional couriers," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:171:y:2025:i:c:p:986-995. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/30473/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.