Last-mile delivery is a critical component of filling orders in the e-commerce industry, and the cost of last-mile delivery accounts for over 30% of the entire delivery cost. In addition, as last-mile delivery faces end-consumers, it not only affects the efficiency of e-commerce logistics but also has an important impact on service quality. Therefore, it is necessary to study new concepts, theories, and technologies to minimise operational cost while satisfying the demand from end-consumers.

Delivery without physical touch is becoming one of the most talked-about research areas in last-mile delivery, and from this multiple new scenarios for delivery without physical touch have emerged, such as self-pickup express cabinets or drones and unmanned vehicles. There has been much innovation in this area in operational modes based on new devices, for example, unmanned vehicles for the delivery of food or medicines in hospitals to avoid infection, and these developments will bring new business models and operational models for last mile delivery. However, there are still many challenges to be faced, particularly in the implementation of these new concepts, theories, and devices at a low cost while ensuring good quality of service.

The Special Issue is dedicated to the study of mathematical modelling and optimisation algorithms for delivery without physical touch in last mile delivery, aiming to promote the exploration of new theories, technologies, and concepts in delivery without physical touch. We welcome both original research and review articles.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Facility location and allocation problems in contactless delivery
• Location-route problems in contactless delivery
• Drone-assisted delivery problems in last mile delivery
• Analysis of profits in contactless delivery
• Data-driven optimisation in contactless delivery
• Trends in coordinated delivery in last mile delivery
• Models and solution algorithms focussing on operational research
• Simulation and optimisation of contactless delivery
• Game theoretic models between home delivery and contactless delivery