The rapid growth of e-commerce and consumers’ increasing demand for faster delivery are rapidly transforming the spatial structure of Korea’s parcel delivery industry. In particular, e-commerce fulfillment, led by Coupang, is dominating the market...
The rapid growth of e-commerce and consumers’ increasing demand for faster delivery are rapidly transforming the spatial structure of Korea’s parcel delivery industry. In particular, e-commerce fulfillment, led by Coupang, is dominating the market. In 2024, the annual parcel volume surged to exceed 100 parcels per capita, leading to increased investment in logistics facilities.
However, empirical research on the impact of fulfillment parcel delivery on logistics space remains limited. Traditionally, logistics facilities tended to be located on the urban periphery. However, "proximity logistics," which refers to the phenomenon where facilities are situated close to demand, has recently attracted attention. Although proximity logistics is closely tied to the e-commerce fulfillment transport chain, research analyzing the combination of the chain and facility locations is lacking. Furthermore, facility supply still relies heavily on temporary parcel volume and real estate trends.
Accordingly, this study aims to analyze the location of logistics facilities as a network that mediates the delivery process. Focusing on e-commerce fulfillment, it examines the impact of facility locations in the Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA) on network efficiency, specifically transport routes and distances, and evaluates whether facility supply adequately responds to these changes.
First, public and private reports were reviewed to summarize the industry's shift toward e-commerce fulfillment and the real estate market status. Second, traditional and fulfillment delivery scenarios were applied to the logistics infrastructures of CJ Logistics and Coupang, Korea’s leading parcel companies. This analyzed the importance of facility location and route optimization for minimizing transport costs. Third, using the time-series sprawl of warehouses and logistics complexes, the study analyzed whether the supply of logistics facilities in the SMA is appropriately responding to the industrial shift represented by proximity logistics. These analyses examine the importance of e-commerce fulfillment in the parcel market, the significance of proximity logistics within e-commerce fulfillment, and the supply status of SMA logistics real estate from the perspective of proximity logistics.
The results are as follows. First, e-commerce growth has been largely absorbed by the growth of e-commerce fulfillment. While existing logistics companies and related industries are responding to this shift, substantial changes remain somewhat insufficient. Second, in the traditional transport chain, the location of hub facilities plays a limited role in minimizing detour ratios, whereas in fulfillment transport chain, it has a profound impact on absolute transport distances. However, optimal route allocation based on transaction data is essential for efficiency. Third, the analysis of facility locations consistently observed and predicted logistics sprawl, with new large-scale developments concentrated on the outskirts of the SMA. While expanding facilities within the SMA is crucial for proximity logistics, public and private achievements remain insignificant.
This study visualizes the importance of proximity logistics in e-commerce fulfillment through the transport chain and examines policy responses and limitations by comparing actual facility supply status with various literature. For an efficient high-speed delivery network, it is necessary to establish a metropolitan-centered national network by strengthening public intervention and data transparency. These findings can serve as reference material for parcel companies to evaluate and improve logistics networks and contribute to data-based supply policies, thereby aiding the construction of a systematic and efficient logistics network in the SMA.