Service innovation is the nexus between the growing e-commerce in urban areas and the ongoing Corona pandemic and seasonal peaks like Christmas. The growing market of urban e-commerce logistics needs solution-driven freight and urban logistics, which is an assumption of this study. Consumer-oriented urban logistics services enable consumers in their everyday and enable a well-functioning urban logistics market are a co-operation between consumers and urban service providers. A service-logic perspective may offer service innovation and value co-creation for the urban logistics challenge that includes last mile logistics.
This conceptual paper aims to develop strategic logistics service provision literature and service innovation literature to facilitate collaborative development between consumers and service providers. Central aspects are consumer's everyday routines and available solutions in terms of urban deliveries and returns, available interaction points between consumers and service providers in daily practices, and knowledge and resources of urban service provider (related to e-commerce logistics) for innovative offerings.
The everyday consumption practice and its logistics are key in co-created service innovations. In-depth understanding of consumption practices and production practices is the basis to align resources for a differentiated urban logistics solution. Such a process develops both urban service consumption practices and production practices. Urban service providers like logistics firms, commercial real estaters, and e-retailers have complementary types of competencies to facilitate urban service innovation.
The study will generate implications to the urban e-commerce logistics research area and benefit both academia and business.