Digital logistics: Enchantment in distribution channels

Abstract

This article analyzes ways that logistical services add value to products over and above traditional utility tradeoffs as a result of a confluence of aesthetic, economic, and cultural facets that we identify as enchantment. We delve into how enchantment might be digitally articulated through mediated (as opposed to brick and mortar) consumption, paying attention to the cultural techniques and affordances of the platforms and spaces. Through a series of case studies, we examine ways in which enchantment can occur in digitally mediated shopping environments. Our case studies suggest that enchanted digital logistical channels extend the value-creating functions of traditional logistics by creating consumption circumstances that surprise and intrigue, that suggest perceived scarcity, and that use social media to approach consumers in multiple ways to procure enchantment.

Keywords: Consumption; Digital logistics; Distribution; Enchantment; Relevant logistics.