The impact of electronic commerce on logistics service providers

TLDR

The impact of e‑commerce on the business environment is often praised but rarely scrutinized, yet logistics—seen as the backbone of e‑commerce operations—remains largely neglected. This paper aims to depict the logistically relevant aspects of e‑commerce and their impacts on logistics service providers, arguing that these implications can be divided into the rise of e‑marketplaces and the elimination of supply chain elements (disintermediation). The authors analyze these two categories and their major logistical implications in detail to deduce strategic consequences for logistics service providers. The analysis yields strategic consequences for logistics service providers, highlighting how e‑marketplaces and disintermediation reshape their operations.

Abstract

The impact of e‐commerce on the business environment is often praised but seldom analyzed with scrutiny. In this paper we try to depict the underlying logistically relevant aspects of e‐commerce and their impacts on logistics service providers. This seems to be of considerable importance, as logistics is seen as the back‐bone of e‐commerce operations. However, the firms specializing in this field are commonly neglected. We argue that the logistical implications of e‐commerce can be differentiated into two main categories: the rise of e‐marketplaces; and the elimination of supply chain elements (disintermediation). By analyzing these two categories and their major logistical implications in detail we deduct strategic consequences for logistics service providers.