Purpose

Demands for fast deliveries in e-commerce appear to be ever increasing, but temporal aspects of logistics operations, such as speed, might hinder the environmental sustainability of last-mile deliveries of e-commerce. Although literature mentions such hindrances, details and examples are rare. An increased understanding is important to enable a much-needed decrease in the environmental impact of last-mile logistics. In particular, paradoxes between temporal aspects and environmental sustainability may hinder such a decrease. Therefore, such tensions need to be unveiled. The purpose is to identify and explain different types of paradoxes inherent in the intersection between environmental sustainability and temporal demands in last-mile deliveries. 

Design/methodology/approach

Empirically, the paper is based on an in-depth, single case study of a Swedish retailer’s e-commerce. Data collection includes field visits, semi-structured interviews with the retailer’s logistics and transport functions, 3PL managing the warehouse and transport providers, as well as secondary data from the retailer. Theoretically, the paper takes a stance in paradox theory and four types of paradoxes.

Findings

Paradoxes are identified and explained by intra-organisational factors of retailers, as well as factors related to interfaces with other actors, such as logistics service providers (transport providers) and consumers. The speed in last-mile deliveries is driven by the retailer’s determination to meet consumers’ high expectations of fast deliveries even though their needs may not be urgent. Also, transport providers compete in offering short transport times to retailers, even though capacity utilization might be lower. 

Research limitations/implications

Results contribute to green logistics literature by adding empirical details regarding the connection between temporal aspects and environmental sustainability, and by nuancing the discussion on demands for fast deliveries and environmental sustainability. The paper is based on a Swedish retailer and further research would benefit from contrasting findings with additional cases, e.g., in other countries or industries.Societal implications (if applicable)Results are of importance for society, in which, for example, retailers, transport providers, and consumers need to contribute to decreasing the environmental impact from logistics. Findings provide insight into forces that hinder such a development, which can inspire guidance for how to move forward.

Practical implications

By increasing understanding regarding paradoxes in the intersection between environmental sustainability and temporal demands, retailers aiming to decrease their environmental footprint can gain insights that facilitate, for example, nudging possibilities in communication with consumers.

Original/value

The paper draws attention to the under-researched knowledge in the intersection of environmental sustainability and demands for fast deliveries. It adds details and empirical examples of connections between speed of delivery and sustainability, outlining paradoxes and how these might be resolved.