UDC 338.47

MICRO HIGHWAYS OF THE CITY: HOW DARK STORES CHANGE THE STRUCTURE OF LOGISTICS COSTS Micro Highways of the City: How Dark Stores Change the Structure of Logistics Costs

Published in JOURNAL OF MONETARY ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT · Issue 8 · Pages 402–407 · Rubric: SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES
DOI: https://doi.org/10.26118/2782-4586.2025.91.28.009
Received: 11.11.2025 Accepted: 17.11.2025 Published: 17.11.2025
Authors
The article analyzes how a dark store network in a dense urban environment forms “micro-highways” and restructures the structure of retail logistics costs. Based on simulation calculations and pilot launches, three configurations are compared: the classic “distribution center — store — courier”, “store as a mini-warehouse” and “distribution center/peripheral hub — dark store — courier/pickup”. It is shown that with a service radius of up to 1.5–2 km and sufficient order density, dark stores reduce the total cost of an order due to a shortened shoulder, an increased share of first successful deliveries and discipline of time windows. The key risks are forecast errors, a shortage of curbside resources, returns and “cold shelves”. A practical framework is proposed: precise placement of hubs, a mixed inventory policy, moderate automation and coordination of night replenishments with the city. The result is a controlled cost without deteriorating service.
dark stores, micro highways, last mile, cost structure, total order value, node placement, inventory management, pick automation, time windows, urban logistics
Text References
Text (PDF)
Read Download

1. Mihaylyuk, M. V. Internet-torgovlya i logistika rossiyskogo e-commerce v sovremennoy faze razvitiya rynka: ekonomika rosta cifrovyh platform v 2020-2025 gg / M. V. Mihaylyuk // Ekonomicheskie nauki. – 2021. – № 205. – S. 69-74.

2. Voblaya I.N., Demenko D. A. Internet-torgovlya kak element cifrovoy ekonomiki: otechestvennyy i zarubezhnyy opyt // Cifrovaya ekonomika: problemy i sovremennye trendy. Materialy vserossiyskoy nauchno-prakticheskoy konferencii. Pod obschey redakciey E. N. Seyfievoy. 2020. S. 365-370

3. Glaz Yu.A., Berezhnaya O. V., Marceva T. G. Issledovanie vliyaniya organizacii i tehnologii ekspress-dostavki tovarov na razvitie sovremennoy Internet-torgovli // Ekonomicheskie sistemy. 2021. T. 14. № 2. S. 75-83

4. Zhil'cov, D. A. Problemy i tendencii organizacii logistiki raspredeleniya v usloviyah platformennoy ekonomiki / D. A. Zhil'cov // Vestnik evraziyskoy nauki. – 2025. – T. 17, № S1

5. Bowersox D.J. Supply chain logistics management / D.J. Bowersox, D.J. Closs, M.B. Cooper. - McGraw-Hill Education, 2008. - 480 s

6. Maklakov, E. S. Variant organizacii tipovyh modeley cifrovyh poslednih mil' dispetcherskogo centra / E. S. Maklakov, A. A. Gulamov // Tehnika i tehnologii: puti innovacionnogo razvitiya : Sbornik nauchnyh trudov 7-y Mezhdunarodnoy nauchno-prakticheskoy konferencii, Kursk, 29–30 iyunya 2018 goda / Otvetstvennyy redaktor A.A. Gorohov. – Kursk: Yugo-Zapadnyy gosudarstvennyy universitet, 2018. – S. 193-196

7. Kudryashov, A. A. Problemy formirovaniya biznes-modeli v sfere aerologistiki posledney mili / A. A. Kudryashov // VII nauchnyy forum telekommunikacii: Teoriya i tehnologii TTT-2024 : Materialy XXI Mezhdunarodnoy nauchno-tehnicheskoy konferencii, Samara, 06–08 noyabrya 2024 goda. – Samara: Povolzhskiy gosudarstvennyy universitet telekommunikaciy i informatiki, 2024. – S. 199-200

8. Ivashov N. Bespilot'e v Rossii: marketpleys kak drayver otrasli // Tehnologii bezopasnosti zhiznedeyatel'nosti. - 2023. - № 2. - S. 72-74.