
Location Selection Problem for Urban Last Step Logistics Solutions: Tarsus District Cargo Cabinet Example
Chapter from the book:
Uzun,
E.
&
Özbaş,
H.
(eds.)
2025.
Management, Finance and Accounting Approaches in Scope of International Trade and Logistics II.
Synopsis
Increasing movement from rural areas to urban centres, driven by factors such as access to education and economic and social opportunities, has increased interest in urban logistics activities. Traffic congestion in urban areas and the negative effects caused by increasing urban deliveries conflict with objectives such as fast and successful delivery and customer satisfaction. This situation also creates various obstacles in the implementation of sustainability policies pursued by local authorities and governments. The aim is to mitigate the negative effects of logistics activities in urban areas through practices implemented in last-mile delivery activities, which represent the final stage of supply chains. Among the out-of-home delivery methods that can be effective alternatives to conventional home delivery facilities, the number of parcel lockers has been increasing in recent years. This study aims to select potential installation locations for parcel lockers in Tarsus, the most populous district of Mersin, one of Turkey's prominent cities. A multi-criteria decision-making framework was developed using Fuzzy Analytic Hierarcy Process (Fuzzy AHP) and Fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (Fuzzy TOPSIS) for site selection. The model utilised five different alternative locations and seven different evaluation criteria. Using data obtained from eight customers, the aim was to select suitable locations for parcel lockers from the customer's perspective. According to the findings of the study, the most important criterion among the evaluation criteria for the parcel locker location selection problem in the district of Tarsus is ‘Theft Risk’. The results show that the most suitable location is ‘Yarenlik’.