Robotic last-mile delivery set to transform urban logistics and reach US$1.74 billion in revenues by 2032

According to new research from global technology intelligence firm ABI Research, worldwide robotic last-mile delivery revenues are forecasted to grow from US$260 million in 2025 to over US$1.74 billion by 2032. In addition, the total number of robotic deliveries deployed is expected to reach 25,000 by 2032 nearly. Robotic deliveries consist of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), and their growth is fostering partnerships and investments across the ecosystem. This could address future staffing complexities and growing last-mile delivery costs in urban areas.

High last-mile delivery costs, combined with carriers’ focus on delivery speed, are driving adoption in different regions worldwide. “North America has seen an enormous increase in the number of robotics providers such as Nurov, Cruise, and Starship Technologies, which are driving deployments in the last-mile delivery space. With AMR technology advancing, an increasing number of use cases are being realized in urban zones and structured areas such as malls and universities,” explains Adhish Luitel, Principal Analyst, Supply Chain Management & Logistics at ABI Research.

The online grocery market has also grown substantially, leading to an increase in grocery-based last-mile deliveries focusing on AMRs. The recent partnership between Starship Technologies and Bolt Food in Europe is a good example. The blend of Starship’s cutting-edge robotic technologies and Bolt’s expansion in the market can set the scene for urban last-mile deliveries across Europe. E-commerce penetration in the grocery sector is set to reach 15% by 2026, up from 8.8% in 2020. Globally, e-commerce sales will grow to US$8.1 trillion in 2026.

“AMRs also have the lowest cost-per-delivery and much lower carbon emissions, which has led to continued adoption. They have the lowest cost-per-delivery of any mobility. As deployments ramp up from university to suburbs and city streets, enterprises will be able to judge not only their operational efficiency but also the response from the larger communities and stakeholders as they adjust to sharing their sidewalks, streets, and crosswalks with these efficient machines,” Luitel concludes.

These findings are from ABI Research’s Last-Mile Delivery Solutionsmarket data report. This report is part of the company’s Supply Chain Management and Logistics research service, which includes research, data, and ABI Insights.