Beyond home delivery: a decade of mathematical modeling and solution strategies for parcel lockers enabled last mile delivery

The rise of e-commerce has led to a significant increase in logistical challenges, particularly in meeting the growing demand for online delivery. While the overall supply chain remains complex, the last-mile delivery—the final leg of the supply chain where parcels are delivered to customers—remains the most challenging. As the number of deliveries increases, traditional home delivery practices are no longer sufficient, prompting the exploration of alternatives such as drones, robots, crowdsourced delivery, and mobile or fixed parcel lockers. Among these, parcel locker solutions have gained substantial attention in both industry practices and academic research. This paper reviews 93 research papers from the past decade, specifically investigating parcel-locker-based deliveries from an operations management perspective. It analyzes how these innovative solutions have been modeled, the features considered, and the challenges and outcomes identified. Most studies examine fixed automated lockers in simplified, deterministic, single-depot settings with homogeneous parcels and fleets. Economic objectives dominate, whereas environmental and social outcomes, consumer behaviour, real-time data, and validation using real-world evidence remain underdeveloped. By linking these modelling and validation gaps to transportation-planning and implementation needs, the review provides an interdisciplinary evidence base for researchers, logistics providers, and public authorities seeking more efficient, accessible, and sustainable last-mile systems.