Retailer-Managed Home Delivery and Active Travel for Grocery Shopping: Evidence from Urban Italy

Grocery shopping remains a heavily car-dependent activity in urban areas, even for short-distance trips within residential neighbourhoods. A primary barrier to shifting toward active travel (walking or cycling) is the physical burden of carrying heavy or bulky goods. This study investigates whether a retailer-managed home delivery service could encourage consumers who currently rely on motorised modes for grocery shopping to shift towards active travel while preserving the in-store shopping experience. The analysis focuses on urban Italian consumers who currently use motorised modes for grocery shopping. Using a Stated Preference (SP) experiment and a Mixed Logit (MMNL) model (n = 88), we analyse the conditions under which such a service may encourage the adoption of active travel modes and support proximity-based shopping patterns. Given the exploratory nature of the study and the small, non-representative sample, the findings should be interpreted as preliminary evidence for urban motorised grocery shoppers rather than as representative of the Italian population. The results indicate a substantial willingness among respondents to adopt the proposed service configuration. Delivery time, service cost, and the availability of delivery time-window selection emerge as critical factors influencing consumers’ choices. Acceptance of the service is also influenced by perceptions of walking and cycling infrastructure quality, trust in the integrity of delivered groceries, preferences for local products, and concerns regarding the working conditions of delivery personnel. Additionally, the model reveals significant heterogeneity in preferences regarding delivery by drone/autonomous vehicle and a 100% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions relative to conventional motorised transport. Younger respondents exhibit a more favourable attitude towards automated delivery technologies, while differences in the valuation of environmental benefits emerge between male and female respondents. The findings suggest that retailer-managed home delivery may represent a promising mechanism for encouraging active travel among current motorised grocery shoppers, while maintaining consumers’ relationship with neighbourhood retail services. These results provide retailers and urban policymakers with valuable insights, suggesting that appropriately designed delivery services may support more sustainable and proximity-oriented shopping behaviours. Such services could potentially contribute to maintaining the accessibility and vitality of neighbourhood retail activities, particularly in ageing urban contexts.