Improving the sustainability of e-commerce logistics: driving change through consumer choices

Abstract

The rapid growth of online retail has introduced both opportunities and challenges for sustainability in e-commerce logistics. This dissertation explores how retailers can improve the environmental and social outcomes of e-commerce logistics by designing delivery options that better align consumer behavior with sustainability goals. Guided by a theoretical framework centered on three stakeholders--retailer, customer, and society--this research investigates the connection between retailers’ logistics process levers, customer decisions, and resulting sustainability outcomes. Across three studies, I examine two logistics strategies with high potential to drive change through consumer behavior: green-but-slow shipping and scheduled neighborhood delivery. Studies 1 and 2 focus on the service-sustainability tradeoff in the context of green-but-slow shipping. Study 1 develops and tests a conceptual framework for information strategies that nudge consumers toward slower, more sustainable shipping choices across two logistics contexts: shipping mode and order consolidation. Study 2 builds on this work by identifying how nudges operate when consumers already recognize the environmental benefits of slower shipping, showing that increasing the salience of already known information can meaningfully influence decisions. Study 3 shifts to the social dimension of sustainability, investigating the potential of scheduled neighborhood grocery delivery to support food security. Using a case study and behavioral experiments, I show that this model improves operational efficiency and promotes healthier grocery purchases by encouraging planning behavior. Together, these studies advance both academic understanding and practical solutions in retail operations by demonstrating how aligning logistics design with behavioral insights can generate meaningful sustainability gains.