An ICT-Based Reference Model for E-grocery in Smart Cities

E-grocery is a new emerging and challenging business channel for the food and beverage market, enabling consumers to purchase grocery products online. It combines the issues of last mile distribution with those related to the perishability of foods, affecting the success and profitability of several e-grocery companies. The Local Food Supply Chain LFSC concerns the local production and delivery to food consumers, in a more economically and environmentally efficient way, but it remains a less explored business. The paper discusses whether a new LFSC model for e-grocery is useful and proposes an innovative solution based on ICT and mobile applications.