Economic assessment of the effectiveness of green logistics in the retail business system

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to substantiate the economic efficiency of green logistics approaches in the retail sector and to establish methodological principles for assessing their impact on companies’ financial and operational results. The work emphasises the need for retail chains to transition to resource-efficient logistics models in response to rising environmental costs, increased regulatory requirements, and the growing importance of sustainable business practices.

The methodological basis comprises the analysis of scientific sources, the systematisation of modern logistics technologies, the calculation of efficiency indicators, and the application of the «cost-result» approach to assess the economic benefits of greening processes. Special attention is paid to evaluating integrated models to determine the cumulative effect of implementing «green» solutions, including reducing energy consumption, optimising transport flows, increasing the speed of logistics operations, and reducing waste.

The results of the study confirm that environmentally friendly logistics strategies reduce operating costs, reduce CO₂ emissions, increase inventory turnover, and create additional value for consumers by improving service reliability and transparency in logistics operations. The ability of digital tools – in particular, navigation systems, automated planning platforms, vehicle monitoring technologies, and packaging optimisation solutions – to generate measurable economic effects, including savings, accelerated turnover of goods, and reduced time costs, has been demonstrated. The proposed methodology enables assessing the effectiveness of green logistics investments using ROI indicators and the payback period, which is essential for management decisions in the retail sector.

The conclusions demonstrate the economic feasibility of implementing green logistics solutions in retail and establish their role in shaping competitive business models. Recommendations are formulated to further improve logistics processes through digitalisation, the implementation of circular approaches, and the expansion of the range of analytical tools for assessing the full life cycle of logistics operations. Prospects for further research include developing models to assess the effectiveness of «green» last-mile delivery, deepening LCA analysis, and integrating adaptive digital platforms into retail business logistics systems.