Last Mile
2025-07-24
Last Mile Delivery: Global Practices,Adoption Rates, and Pain Points
Door-to-Door Delivery

The traditional way of last mile fulfillment involves couriers delivering directly to the user’s doorstep or downstairs. This model is widely used by service-focused platforms like SF Express and JD.com in China, where high delivery frequency ensures timely service. Doorstep delivery offers high user satisfaction due to its convenience and directness. However, it is the costliest option for platforms and can suffer from unstable efficiency, especially when delivery failures require repeated attempts.
Pickup and Drop-off Stations

Another mainstream method is the use of pickup and drop-off stations, such as Cainiao Stations, JD Express Supermarkets, and Tuxi Life+ Community Convenience Points. Couriers deliver packages to these stations in bulk, where users can later collect their parcels themselves. This approach strikes a balance between convenience and cost-efficiency and has become especially popular in third-tier and above urban communities in China.
Parcel Lockers

Contactless and available 24/7, parcel lockers (e.g., Fengchao, Suyidi, Cainiao Express Cabinets) provide a modern solution to last mile delivery by allowing users to retrieve packages at their own convenience. While lockers improve efficiency and reduce missed deliveries, some users have raised concerns over issues such as unauthorized advertising or poor notifications.
Adoption Rates by Region
Different regions show clear preferences for last mile delivery methods, influenced by infrastructure, consumer behavior, and urban density. A recent study shows the following proportions of adoption:
Region Proportion of Door-to-Door Delivery Proportion of Relay Stations/Collection Points Proportion of Parcel Lockers
Global 76% 6% 9%
China 38% 24-30% 32-40%
America 80% 80% 13%
Europe 62% 11-25% 15-40%
Southeast Asia 85% 5-10% 5-10%
Middle East/Africa 86% 2-7% <3%
Pain Points of Current Delivery Methods
Region Doorstep Delivery Pain Points Pickup Station Pain Points Parcel Locker Pain Points
- China - High labor intensity and frequent redelivery for couriers;
- Complex access control, making doorstep delivery difficult;
- User expectation for "must be delivered to door" conflicts with platform cost pressures.
- Forced placement without user consent;
- Service quality varies greatly, some stations have backlogs or delays;
- Insufficient sites in remote areas, rural deliveries rely on village officials.
- High locker full rate and short storage time limit;
- Untimely or no notifications, poor pickup experience;
- Not user-friendly for elderly or tech-inexperienced users.
USA - Parcels left at the door are prone to theft, high delivery security risk;
- Delivery unstable during holidays/bad weather;
- Addresses are scattered, making route planning difficult./td>
- Limited coverage of community pickup points;
- Retail-based pickup sites are restricted by store hours;
- Lack of user habit, reliant on manual assistance.
- Mostly located at Amazon sites, hard to scale self-operated lockers;
- Low usage rate, difficult to achieve scale efficiency;
- Lack of unified construction standards for locker sites.
Europe - Hard to find parking in big cities, narrow delivery windows;
- Failed deliveries due to no one being home during the day;
- High cost for “return and redelivery.”
- Sparse distribution requires long-distance travel;
- Often operated by third-party retailers/post offices, inconsistent service experience;
- Complicated identity verification process for pickup.
- Privacy concerns (especially in Germany);
- Limited lockers + peak season surge leads to "locker full"
- No support for signing on behalf / large parcel drop-off.
Southeast Asia - Severe urban traffic congestion, low scheduling efficiency for courier/motorbike;
- Unstandardized addresses, high misdelivery rate;
- Unfixed recipient time, couriers need repeated contact.
- Inadequate infrastructure, lack of rural collection points;
- Users unfamiliar with non-doorstep modes, low trust level;
- Lack of cross-platform interoperability for pickup services.
- Infrastructure not yet widespread;
- Locker installation in malls/offices faces space constraints and high cost;
- Insufficient user education and guidance.
Middle East / Africa - Poor urban security, couriers face personal/property risks;
- Complex addressing system, users frequently change delivery addresses;
- No fixed fallback collection mechanism for failed deliveries.
- Low efficiency at retail/supermarket pickup points, high return rate;
- Few service points, unclear usage process;
- Lack of platform oversight and standardized procedures.
- Mainly platform self-built, ecosystem underdeveloped;
- Insufficient urban coverage, rural areas completely lacking;
- Unstable power/communication affecting device operation.
Conclusion
The evolution of last mile delivery reflects both local realities and consumer expectations. Balancing cost, convenience, and efficiency across door-to-door, pickup stations, and parcel lockers will remain a key challenge for logistics providers worldwide. To succeed, players must address these region-specific pain points through infrastructure investments, better user communication, and technological innovation.
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