Locations of logistics facilities for e-commerce: a case of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area

Abstract

The rapid growth of the e-commerce market creates new dynamics in the logistics landscape, which has been evolving for decades in cities around the world. It is a challenge for businesses and planners to meet the high demand for logistics facilities for e-commerce order fulfillment and goods handling. In the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, mega-scale multi-tenant logistics facilities have been developed in both the port area near the urban center and the periphery of the city, while delivery service providers locate many last-mile delivery stations, varying in number depending on the urban density. We analyze the spatial distribution and location factors of both mega-scale multi-tenant facilities and last-mile delivery facilities. We found that, due to the scarcity of land, newly developed multi-tenant facilities are more likely to be in less accessible places that have high-level development restrictions. The result also indicates the heterogeneity of the distribution of delivery service providers' facilities, reflecting the heterogeneity in business strategies.