The rapid growth of e-commerce has significantly increased direct-to-consumer deliveries, putting competitive and environmental pressure on urban last-mile logistics. Out-of-home (OOH) delivery options, particularly parcel lockers, are increasingly integrated into city mobility strategies to reduce congestion and emissions. However, the role of mobile applications front-ending these networks remains under-researched. This study aims to evaluate the user experience (UX) and functional adequacy across three major parcel-locker apps in Poland: InPost Mobile, DPD Mobile, and ORLEN Paczka. A cross-sectional, mixed-methods approach combining in situ corridor testing and structured post-task questionnaires was employed with 30 users at real locker locations in Katowice. The results indicate that interface simplicity, predictable information flow, and technical stability are the dimensions most consistently associated with higher user ratings. InPost Mobile consistently achieved the highest ratings due to its focus on core workflows, whereas applications emphasizing broader functional coverage (ORLEN Paczka) exhibited usability trade-offs, and DPD Mobile underperformed in speed and stability. Because the study relied on a small convenience sample (n = 30) in a single city and was skewed toward younger adults (18–24), the findings should be interpreted as exploratory and primarily reflective of a digitally proficient demographic rather than the broader user population.
Cieśla et al. (Mon,) studied this question.