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Is Quick Delivery Related To Quick-Commerce Enviro

This research article evaluates the environmental sustainability of quick-commerce (q-commerce) businesses, focusing on their reliance on electric vehicles (EVs) and dark stores for last-mile delivery. It assesses the greenhouse gas emissions associated with express delivery operations and proposes strategies to optimize delivery practices to reduce environmental impacts. The findings highlight the complexities of achieving sustainability in rapid delivery services and suggest a framework for integrating eco-friendly practices in the q-commerce sector.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
13 views10 pages

Is Quick Delivery Related To Quick-Commerce Enviro

This research article evaluates the environmental sustainability of quick-commerce (q-commerce) businesses, focusing on their reliance on electric vehicles (EVs) and dark stores for last-mile delivery. It assesses the greenhouse gas emissions associated with express delivery operations and proposes strategies to optimize delivery practices to reduce environmental impacts. The findings highlight the complexities of achieving sustainability in rapid delivery services and suggest a framework for integrating eco-friendly practices in the q-commerce sector.

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Govindu S
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European Journal of Development Studies

Vol 4 | Issue 6 | December 2024


ISSN 2736-660X

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Is Quick Delivery Related to Quick-Commerce


Environmentally Sustainable?
Manas Sarkar*

ABSTRACT
The rapid expansion of quick-commerce (q-commerce) businesses, which Submitted: November 10, 2024
promise quick last-mile delivery, requires an urgent assessment of their Published: December 29, 2024
environmental sustainability. This study investigates the sustainability of
the q-commerce business model, which relies heavily on electric vehicles 10.24018/ejdevelop.2024.4.6.404
(EVs) and dark stores for last-mile delivery services, and assesses the
environmental impact of express-delivery operations, particularly in
terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It examines the ability of Abo Akademi University, Finland.
EVs and dark stores under Q-Commerce to reduce the carbon footprint
compared to traditional online last-mile delivery methods and evaluates *Corresponding Author:
e-mail: manas.sarkar@abo.fi
the environmental pollution potential of increased delivery frequency and
faster last-mile delivery in terms of GHG emissions. By analysing data
from various q-commerce companies and last-mile deliveries, the paper
provides insight into the trade-off between the benefits of fast delivery and
its environmental sustainability. The results highlight the complexities of
achieving sustainability in the rapid last-mile delivery sector by combustion
vehicles and propose a framework for integrating environmentally friendly
practices to reduce overall environmental impacts, such as optimizing
electric vehicle adoption and delivery routes. The conclusion of the paper
discusses the feasibility and significance of establishing a more sustainable
q-commerce environment, as well as its limits and future prospects.

Keywords: Dark store, electric vehicles, greenhouse gas emission (GHG),


quick-commerce.
1. Introduction
Urban transportation faces continuous environmental challenges in promoting and building an
environmentally conscious transportation environment, with an emphasis on emissions, traffic noise,
and cognitive reduction (Caggiani et al., 2021). Within minutes/hours/or same-day delivery is an
important tool for online businesses to allow customers to purchase products/services online and
have them delivered within minutes/hours, bridging the gap between online and brick-and-mortar
purchases. Customers benefit from instant delivery because it eliminates the need for store visits and
long line-ups, and they often receive their products in no time. This service has a strong annual
growth rate. According to Statista (2023b) report, it was anticipated that 511.8 million consumers
will use Quick-commerce services globally by 2023. The user base for Quick-commerce is predicted
to grow to more than 788 million by 2027. This phase is very important and challenging, especially
for Q-commerce companies, because it only takes a few minutes/hours for the order to reach the
customer’s goods. This poses challenges not only in terms of environmental impact, particularly in
terms of greenhouse gas emissions such as CO2, but also in terms of delivery cost (Sarkar, 2023).
The Paris Agreement, agreed in 2016 by 194 countries (including the European Union), aims to limit
global warming and CO2 emissions to reduce carbon emissions by 45% by 2030 and to reach net-zero
emissions by 2050. To reduce global warming, the consumption of fuel sources must be shifted so that
they do not emit greenhouse gases (GHG). In the transport sector, alternative fuels such as renewable
electricity and biofuels are included (Awwad et al., 2018), since dark stores are micro-fulfillment
centres specifically designed for quick delivery/fast delivery (Mukhopadhyay, 2022; Rai et al., 2017).
Environmentally sustainable last-mile delivery is also discussed, which is the objective of this research.

Copyright: © 2024 Sarkar. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted
use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original source is cited.

Vol 4 | Issue 6 | December 2024 44


Sarkar Is Quick Delivery Related to Quick-Commerce Environmentally Sustainable?

This paper evaluates the role of EVs and dark stores in fast-delivery and environmentally sustainable
products that can reach consumers after they receive orders from them.

2. Method
The rapidly evolving landscape of quick delivery, or Q-commerce, has gained significant interest due
to its global nature. There are approximately 427.7 million fast-commerce users worldwide, generating
approximately USD 97.8 billion in revenue (Statista, 2023b). However, the question is, is quick-delivery
environmentally sustainable?
A qualitative approach was used to conduct this research. This study reviewed previous studies to
review the literature further. Secondary data collection methods, such as descriptive analysis of various
references from books, journals, reports, the internet, and other sources, are used. This study aims to
examine how electric vehicles and dark stores are used in last-mile delivery to promote energy security
as an alternative to reducing environmental pollutants and fuel imports. In order to make the use
of electric vehicles a strategic choice and the use of dark stores in the fight against environmental
pollution, this research is also linked to environmental challenges.
The key findings of this research are:
a) Through the use of scientific literature research and synthesis, the research is trying to find
delivery conflicts in the development of ultra-fast delivery and its environmental sustainability.
This paper proposes a way to address the identified problem.
b) Finding the most innovative and promising options for future growth in this field, as well as the
internet users and the state of the ultra-fast delivery industry.
c) Determining how carbon emissions and last-mile distribution are affected by fossil fuels.
d) The combination of electric vehicles and dark stores should be the main topic of discussion, and
the environmental sustainability of quick delivery should be confirmed.

3. Literature Review
The foundation of all academic research endeavors, regardless of subject, is developing research and
linking it to existing knowledge. It can also be useful in providing a comprehensive picture of areas in
which multidisciplinary and diverse research is being conducted (Snyder, 2019).

3.1. Ultra-Fast Delivery and Environmental Sustainability


The constant emergence and competition of new digital technologies force organizations to adapt
their operations digitally (Feroz et al., 2021). Moreover, as a result, organizations are putting more
emphasis on last-mile delivery. The last-mile delivery process involves moving goods from a hub or
distribution center to the final recipient’s location (Comi & Savchenko, 2021; Klein & Popp, 2022;
Manerba et al., 2018; Siegfried, 2021), usually their home, and providing quick and efficient delivery
typically within minutes/hours (Groß, 2022; Stojanov, 2022; Wang et al., 2023). Many researchers
focused on environmental challenges related to consumers’ increased online orders like greenhouse
gas emissions, traffic congestion, packaging, etc. (Han, 2021; Muñoz-Villamizar et al., 2021; Nogueira
et al., 2022).

3.2. Quick-Commerce
Quick commerce, or Q-commerce, is a new type of online shopping that combines digital technology
with ultra-fast delivery services, allowing customers to receive their orders within a very short time,
usually within a few minutes, an hour, or a few hours after order (Gund & Daniel, 2023; Ranjekar
& Roy, 2023; Schorung, 2023; Serrenho, 2022). Q-commerce strongly focuses on speed and consumer
convenience to deliver a smooth and frictionless buying experience within 2–3 kilometers (Delivery
Hero, 2020; Malik, 2022) from the delivery destination. According to Statista’s (2023b) report, 788
million consumers will use the quick-commerce market worldwide by 2027, which is not only a last-mile
challenge but also an environmental challenge.

3.3. Dark Store


A dark store is a warehouse or big retail shop located in the city, facilitating quick and responsive
logistics activities for perishable goods and groceries in the ultra-fast delivery model (Gund & Daniel,
2023), where customers are physically not allowed to visit the stores (Boylan & Cline, 2021). Contact-
free shopping has become increasingly popular since COVID-19, as well as related safety precautions
and social distancing. Thanks to dark stores, customers may make purchases from physical retail

Vol 4 | Issue 6 | December 2024 45


Is Quick Delivery Related to Quick-Commerce Environmentally Sustainable? Sarkar

locations without physically entering them. It helps to reduce carbon emissions, minimize product
travel, and reduce individual trips to physical stores (Nobre & Vita, 2021).

3.4. Electric Vehicles


A vehicle classified as an electric vehicle (EV) has an electric motor that runs on a battery and can
be charged externally (Statista, 2023a). Over 13 million electric vehicles were sold in 2023, generating
$769.3 billion in revenue for the market. Moreover, the projection is expected to reach approximately
$ 952 billion by 2023, (Markets and Markets, 2024).
Electric vehicles offer a substantial environmental benefit (30) over traditional internal combustion
engine vehicles (Holland et al., 2015). Electric vehicles are more energy-efficient, reduce pollutants in
the air, and, over time, create less greenhouse gas emissions. These advantages will be amplified when
electricity is generated from renewable energy sources. By using fewer fossil fuels, EVs also help to
reduce noise pollution and promote long-term sustainability.

3.5. Combustion Vehicles


Using combustion vehicles (fossil fuel vehicles) for last-mile delivery plays a significant role,
especially in quick delivery. In cities, especially with high traffic, combustion vehicles use 5–10 times
the energy of electric vehicles for transportation. This leads to a substantial global loss of energy
(Fridstrøm, 2020). Additionally, combustion vehicles’ greenhouse gas emissions, traffic congestion,
and noise pollution contribute to global warming and climate change (Günther et al., 2015).

4. The Key Finding


The global environment now faces significant challenges as a result of climate change. In order
to reduce carbon emissions and maintain energy security both present and in the future based on
environmental sustainability, alternative last-mile delivery vehicles are desperately needed. Therefore,
using electric vehicles to reduce fuel oil consumption significantly reduces pollution and exhaust
emissions for last-mile delivery.

4.1. Emission Problems by Combustion Vehicles


A newly developed quick last-mile delivery technique is revolutionizing the speed at which packages
and items are delivered to customers instantly. However, climate change is a serious and important
concern for the environment. Especially the heavy use of fuel vehicles in last-mile delivery.
Table I shows the result of high greenhouse gas emissions by various transportation sectors. The sole
purpose of displaying this table is to highlight how much greenhouse gas emissions delivery vehicles
produce for last-mile delivery. While the carbon emission levels of plug-in hybrid cars and bikes are
close to 100 grams or less, the carbon emissions of other delivery vehicles are very high, especially LPG
and CNG cars and CNG vans. Determining how much global last-delivery carbon emissions result
from rapid last-mile delivery is difficult. This is now a major area of concern for many researchers.
According to the World Economic Forum (WEF, 2020), by 2030, global delivery vehicles will increase
by 36%. As a result, emissions from delivery would grow by more than 21%, and emissions from
delivery traffic are expected to rise by 32%.

TABLE I: Calculation of Greenhouse Gas Emission by Various Last-Mile Transport Segments (Carbon Footprint
Calculator, n.d.)
Transport segments Types of transportation Carbon emissions (Average value) Average emission by transport
Cars Diesel Cars Approx. 169 grams/kilometers 151 grams/km
“ CNG Cars Approx. 175 grams/kilometers
“ LPG Cars Approx. 197 grams/kilometers
“ Petrol Cars Approx. 163 grams/kilometers
“ Petrol/Hybrid Cars Approx. 119 grams/kilometers
“ Plug-in Hybrid Approx. 83 grams/kilometers
Motorbike Petrol (125–500 cc) Approx. 101 grams/kilometers 92 grams/km
“ Petrol Approx. 83 grams/kilometers
(Mopeds/Scooters/bikes–upto
125 cc)
Vans CNG Vans (Average) Approx. 232 grams/kilometers 218.38 grams/km
“ Diesel Vans (up to 1.30 tonne Approx. 142 grams/kilometers
capacity)
“ Diesel Vans (1.30–1.74 tonnes) Approx. 174 grams/kilometers

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Sarkar Is Quick Delivery Related to Quick-Commerce Environmentally Sustainable?

TABLE I: Continued
Transport segments Types of transportation Carbon emissions (Average value) Average emission by transport
“ Diesel Vans (1.74–3.50 tonnes) Approx. 253 grams/kilometers
“ LPG Vans (up to 3.5 tonnes) Approx. 255 grams/kilometers
“ Petrol Vans (up to 1.30 tonnes Approx. 182 grams/kilometers
capacity)
“ Petrol Vans (1.30–1.74 tonnes Approx. 195 grams/kilometers
capacity)
“ Petrol Vans (up to 1.74–3.50 Approx. 314 grams/kilometers
tonnes capacity)

For other online last-mile delivery services such as e-commerce, last-mile delivery is not environ-
mentally sustainable due to long routes. After ordering for product variations, the product goes from
Regional Centres to Sorting Stations, or from manufacturers to Sorting Stations or Warehouses and
from there to Regional Centres to Sorting Stations (Fig. 1). Moreover, it not only emits more CO2 but
also increases the cost of transportation. The variety of products and services here is huge.

2 Order Received
Search 1 Order (Company)
(Consumer) (Consumer)

6 7
Manufacturers Warehouses Regional Centres

8
Pick up point
Sorting Station 11
Delivery
Vehicles

Home
Delivery

Fig. 1. Other online last-mile delivery.

TABLE II: Life-Cycle of Carbon Emissions by e-Vehicles


Transport Type of Carbon emission (life-cycle Average single charge Speed
segments transportations carbon footprint) mileage (Kilometers/hour)
E-Scooty Electric Approx. 35–67 grams/km Approx. 30–40 miles Average 46 kilometers/hrs
(Cenex, 2020) (Flynn, 2022) (E-Scooter Nerds, 2024)
E-Bike Electric Approx. 20–35 grams/km Approx. 50–100 miles Average 20 miles/hours (32
(Cenex, 2020) (Latham, 2023) kph) (Velotric, 2023)
E-Van (Light Electric Approx. 49 grams/km Approx. 182 miles Depends on model
vehicles) (Nowak, 2021) (Molliere, 2022)

4.2. Electric Vehicles and Carbon Emissions


Electric vehicles (EVs) are often promoted as a cleaner alternative to traditional internal combustion
engine (ICE) vehicles. EVs do not emit pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), methane (CH4),
and carbon dioxide (CO2) that contribute to air pollution and health problems, which makes them
especially useful in urban quick delivery, where there is a serious problem with air quality. On the other
hand, E-Scooty, E-Bike, and E-Van produce less carbon emission during their lifespan Table II.
The adoption of EVs in last-mile transport can lead to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions,
congestion, and noise pollution (WEF, 2020). In Fig. 2, the E-scooters, E-bikes, and E-vans produce
less carbon emission (lifespan) than combustion vehicles but zero tailpipe emission.

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Is Quick Delivery Related to Quick-Commerce Environmentally Sustainable? Sarkar

On the other hand, under Q- Commerce (quick delivery) only those products in stock in the dark
store will be seen by the consumer online. Directly from the dark store, the product will be delivered to
the customer within minutes by delivery vehicle (Fig. 2). Electric vehicles are the most efficient delivery
mode since the destination is within a few kilometers.

1 2 Order Received
Search Order (Company)
(Consumer) (Consumer)

Regional 8 Delivery
5
Centres Dark Stores Vehicles

Manufacturers
6

Door Delivery

Fig. 2. Quick-commerce last-mile delivery.

TABLE III: Q-commerce Companies and Their Delivery Activity


Q-Commerce company Number of dark stores Deliveries to destination Distance covers (Radius)
Zepto Approx. 200 stores Average within 10 minutes Average 1.8 kilometers
(Choudhary, 2024) (Choudhary, 2024) (Choudhary, 2024)
Flink Approx. 190 stores (Sterling, Average Within 10 minutes Not mentioned
2022) (Narang, 2021)
Delivery Hero Approx. 932 stores (Delivery Average within 1 hour, Average 2.2 kilometers
Hero, n.d.) sometimes 20–30 minutes (Delivery Hero, 2020)
(Delivery Hero, n.d.)
Blinkit Approx. 526 stores Average within 15 minutes Average 2 kilometers (Blinkit,
(Shrivastava, 2024) (Blinkit, n.d.) n.d.)
Gorillas Approx. 180 stores (Sterling, Average within 10 minutes Average 1.5 kilometers
2022) (Criterion Global, n.d.) (Torkel, 2022)
Gopuff Approx. 250 stores (Wells, Average within 20–40 minutes Not mentioned
2021) (Wells, 2021)

4.3. Dark Store and Quick Last-Mile Delivery


Dark stores play a significant role in enabling quick last-mile delivery, especially in Q-commerce.
Dark stores are typically located in urban centers, which reduces the distance and time required for
last-mile delivery, allowing them to be closer to the end consumers (Nobre & Vita, 2021). Dark shops
are metropolitan centers, closed-to-the-public establishments used only for storing, gathering, sorting,
and shipping items ordered online. Promising quick delivery to the destination, dark stores play a
significant role in delivery.
In Table III, the average delivery time after an order taken by the companies is a few minutes or hours,
and the radius of the delivery destination is within 2.2 kilometers. According to Scriven (2022), more
than 6000 dark stores exist all over the globe, and by 2030 the number will reach 45,000 globally. In
Table I, the carbon emission (grams/ km) by combustion vehicles is very high, whereas the destination
from the delivery is very low, within a 2.2-kilo meter radius (assuming maximum delivery radius). On
the other hand, Electric Vehicles are not only environmentally friendly when on the road but also
perfect for delivery time.

5. Discussion
The study mostly used secondary data collection techniques, such as searching the internet, books,
journals, and reports for relevant material. The research focuses on the carbon emissions of various
transportation segment types and their related values in order to build a hypothetical relationship
between Tables I–III supplied in the text within a 1.8-kilometer radius (e.g., for Zepto).

Vol 4 | Issue 6 | December 2024 48


Sarkar Is Quick Delivery Related to Quick-Commerce Environmentally Sustainable?

Key Variables
Based on the data, the following parameters were prepared:
Delivery Parameters
• Average Delivery Distance (DD ): 1.8 km radius (e.g., for Zepto)
• Number of Deliveries per Vehicle (DPV ): 15 delivery (Assumed)
Carbon Emission Values
• Combustion Vehicle Emissions:
– Average emissions for Combustion cars (AECE): 151 g/km
– Average emissions for Combustion vans (AECV): 218 g/km
• Electric Vehicle Emissions:
– Average emissions for electric vans (AEEV): 49 g/km
– Average emissions for electric scooters (AEES): 51 g/km
Cost Parameters:

Parameters Quantity References


Fuel consumption for combustion vehicles:
Cars 8 L/100 km (BrokerLink, 2024)
Van 10 L/100 km (Swiss Vans, n.d.)
Fuel Price (FP ) 1.17 Euro/L (Global Petrol Prices, n.d.)
Energy consumption for EVs 0.20 kWh/km (EVBOX, n.d.)
Electricity price (ELP ) 0.12 Euro/kWh (Host Dime, 2020)
Average speed for combustion vehicles (Scv ) 30 km/hours (MOVOTIV, n.d.)
Average speed for electric vehicles (Sev ) 25 km/hours (Vanderwerp, 2022)

Performed Calculations
1. Carbon Emissions Calculation
For Combustion Vehicles (Cars): ECVcar = DPV × DD × AECE
ECVcar = (15 × 1.8 × 151) g. = 4,077 g (Approx. 4.08 kg)
For Combustion Vehicles (Vans): ECVvan = DPV × DD × AECV
ECV van = (15 × 1.8 × 218) g. = 5,886 g (Approx. 5.89 kg)
Total Carbon Emissions for Combustion Vehicles:
ECVtotal = ECVcar + ECV van = 4.08 + 5.89 = 9.97 kg
For Electric Vehicles (Vans): EEVvan = DPV × DD × AEEV
TEEV = (15 × 1.8 × 49) g. =1,323 g (Approx. 1.32 kg)
For Electric Vehicles (Scooters): EEVscooter = DPV × DD × AEES
TEES = (15 × 1.8 × 51) g. = 1,377 g (Approx. 1.38 kg)
Total Carbon Emissions for Electric Vehicles:
EEVtotal = TEEV + TEES = (1.32 + 1.38) g. = 2.70 kg
2. Cost Calculation
For Combustion Vehicles (Cars): FCcar = (8/100) × DPV × DD × FP (FC = Fuel Cost)
FCcar = (8/100) × 15 × 1.8 × 1.17 = 2.53 euros (Approx.)
For Combustion Vehicles (Vans): FCvan = (10/100) × DPV × DD × FP
FCvan = (10/100) × 15 × 1.8 × 1.17= 3.16 euros (Approx.)
Total Fuel Cost for Combustion Vehicles:
Average FCCV = (2.53 + 3.16)/2 = 2.85 euros (Approx.)
where FCcv = Fuel Cost of Combustion vehicles.
For Electric Vehicles : Total ECEV = DPV × DD × Energy Consumption × ELP
ECEV = (15 × 1.8 × 0.2 × 0.12) = 0.648 euros (Approx. 0.65 euros)
3. Delivery Time Calculation (T)
For Combustion Vehicles: TCV = DPV × (DD /SCV ) = 15 × 1.8/30 = 0.9 hours (Approx. 54 minutes)
For Electric Vehicles: TEV = DPV × (DD /SEV ) =15 × 1.8/25 = 1.08 hours (Approx. 65 minutes)

The calculations provide a comparative assessment of Comparative analysis (Table IV) of combus-
tion vehicles and electric vehicles. From the calculations, electric vehicles produce less carbon emissions
than combustion vehicles which is 73%, and the total travel cost for electricity is 77% lower than the
total fuel cost for combustion vehicles (Table IV). On the other hand, electric vehicles take a slightly
longer time for delivery (20% Increase) compared to combustion vehicles. The environmental and cost
benefits are substantial.

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Is Quick Delivery Related to Quick-Commerce Environmentally Sustainable? Sarkar

TABLE IV Comparative Analysis


Matrix Combustion vehicles Electric vehicles % of Differences
Total carbon emission (KG) 9.97 2.70 73% reduction
Total energy consumption (Euros) 2.85 0.65 77% reduction
Delivery time (Minutes) 54 65 20% increase

6. Results
The majority of the material for the study comes from secondary sources, including literature reviews
found online and in books, journals, and reports. The findings and discussion illustrate the significance
of environmental sustainability, dark stores, and electric vehicles for the acceptability of delivery
methods; the discussion’s findings add to the body of research on sustainability perceptions in last-mile
delivery.
According to Villa and Monzón (2021), urban freight transportation increases tremendously,
negatively impacting both the environment and society in the cities. Also, EVs take less road space and
often use cycle lanes, which can avoid traffic congestion, take delivery time, and are environmentally
friendly.
On the other hand, single-charged EVs like E-scooters, E-bikes, and E-van ride a distance of
approximately 56 km, 120 km, and 293 km, respectively. EVs are highly automated, minimize traffic
congestion in urban delivery, and help to improve operational efficiency from dark stores in urban
quick last-mile delivery.
An important aspect is the environmentally friendly sustainability of dark stores or micro-fulfillment
centers for last-mile delivery, which can decrease delivery times and progress effectiveness in urban last-
mile delivery (Paché, 2022). Dark stores work as logistical centers, delivering within 10 to 15 minutes
after an online order by operating the nearest-to-dark store radius system and enhancing consumer
satisfaction. Strategically positioned in urban areas for ultra-fast delivery (Pache, 2023), dark stores
efficiently prepare orders to reduce the distance between customers and warehouses, and logistics
service provides quick product access (Peppel et al., 2022).
If we will see Figs. 1 and 2, after an order by a consumer online, Q-commerce covers fewer fleets
than the traditional E-commerce business model. Q-commerce delivers goods/services from dark stores
within a few kilometers of the delivery destination (Fig. 3). Within a specific radius, electric vehicles
reduce 72.9% (approximately) less carbon emission than conventional vehicles.

Fig. 3. Delivery destination.

Vol 4 | Issue 6 | December 2024 50


Sarkar Is Quick Delivery Related to Quick-Commerce Environmentally Sustainable?

7. Conclusion
The research on the sustainability of quick-commerce (q-commerce) in relation to quick delivery
concludes that the rapid expansion of q-commerce business models, emphasizing quick last-mile deliv-
ery, necessitates a thorough assessment of their environmental sustainability. The study investigates
how q-commerce relies on electric vehicles (EVs) and dark stores for last-mile delivery services and
evaluates their environmental impact, particularly regarding greenhouse gas emissions. By analyzing
data from various q-commerce companies and logistics strategies, the research sheds light on the
trade-offs between the benefits of quick delivery and the environmental consequences associated with
increased delivery frequency and quick last-mile delivery. The study focuses on the complexities of
achieving sustainability in the quick last-mile delivery sector and proposes a framework for integrating
environmentally friendly practices to reduce overall environmental impact.
The findings emphasize the importance of optimizing EV adoption and delivery routes to minimize
carbon footprints compared to traditional online last-mile delivery models. The research highlights the
significance of establishing a more sustainable q-commerce environment by leveraging strategies that
promote energy security, reduce environmental pollutants, and decrease fuel imports.
In conclusion, the study advocates for a strategic approach to addressing environmental challenges
in the q-commerce sector, emphasizing the need for q-commerce companies to prioritize sustainability
and environmental responsibility. By implementing environmentally friendly practices, such as utilizing
EVs and dark stores, q-commerce businesses can work towards creating a more sustainable and
environmentally friendly last-mile delivery system for the future.

8. Limitations
The paper has several research limitations that warrant further investigation and research in the
context of quick last-mile delivery operations. The research is trying to address the environmental
sustainability of quick-commerce models. However, there is a dearth of research data on overall
greenhouse gas emissions associated with quick-delivery activities, especially since quick-commerce is
a new concept. This research also does not discuss the challenges and limitations of governments’ and
stakeholders’ initiatives to increase EVs.

Acknowledgment
I am appreciative of my supervisor Professor Dr. Anssi Öörni’s invaluable support and advice. I
also want to express my gratitude to the Indian government (Ministry of Social Justice) for funding
my research. It is also that without the support of my parents and family, it is not possible for me.

Conflict of Interest
The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.

Abbreviations
EVs Electric Vehicles
GHG Greenhouse Gas
DPV Number of Deliveries per Vehicle
DD Delivery Distance
AECE Average emissions for Combustion cars
AECV Average emissions for Combustion vans
AEEV Average emissions for electric vans
AEES Average emissions for electric scooters
EEV Emissions for Electric Vehicles
ECV Emissions for Combustion Vehicles
ECEV Energy Consumption for EVs
ELP Electricity price
FCCV Fuel Cost of Combustion Vehicles
FP Fuel Price
SEV Speed for Electric Vehicles
SCV Speed for combustion vehicles

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