Last Mile Logistical Constraints in Slums

Abstract

This article addresses an important process in the research field of operations management and supply chain management. The main construct in this research is the last mile logistics (LML) in slums. Brazil is home to 11,403 slums, which collectively house approximately 18 million people residing in 6.6 million households. Thus, the objective of this study is to identify the main undesirable effects and their respective causes within the current urban logistics scenario of slums while investigating how Brazilian e-commerce has overcome delivery restrictions in high-risk areas. This research aims to expand the understanding of this phenomenon beyond the B2C consumer relationship within e-commerce, providing insights into the social vulnerability experienced by marketplace organizations’ delivery service partners and the underserved consumers residing in Brazilian slums. The findings has provided a comprehensive analysis of the undesirable effects and underlying causes of the critical issue of non-delivery of e-commerce products in slums and similar communities and it has also proposed a set of solutions aimed at bridging the gap between customer expectations and the reality of distribution platforms.