What exactly is the “last mile”? How do different market segments define it?

According to Daki’s VP of Fulfillment, Rafael Pinto, the focus is on the customer:

“For us, the last mile represents proximity to the customer, ensuring that food and immediate-consumption products are just minutes away. It’s not just a distribution center, but an urban hub that connects inventory, technology, and convenience.”

Large-scale operations are already complex by nature, and in Daki’s case, that complexity increases due to the strict control required in food distribution. The executive explains the main challenges:

“Perishability, strict quality control, and constant restocking needs. In addition, inventory must be decentralized to ensure proximity without losing efficiency. Managing sensitive categories such as fresh and frozen goods requires different storage and transport processes.”

According to Rafael, Daki was founded as a company 100% focused on ultra-fast last-mile delivery. This specialization helps the company stand out in the market’s new dynamics:

“We believe the last mile will increasingly become part of the consumer’s daily life. The trend is that fast delivery will cease to be a differentiator and become a basic requirement. Companies that combine speed, sustainability, and experience will stand out. Those who got ahead are leading the transformation.”

From another sector’s perspective, Dafiti’s COO, Alexandre Faria, comments:

“The last mile is connected to the final stage of interaction with the customer. It’s the moment when the service promise is fulfilled, and our mission is to ensure the best experience possible — this is the decisive point for customer satisfaction.”

Continuing on customer satisfaction, Faria highlights what consumers value most:

“Price and delivery time are by far the most decisive factors in purchasing decisions, but it’s worth noting that real-time tracking and ease of return have been gaining increasing importance.”

Dafiti doesn’t deal with perishable products, but Faria says the main challenge for the sector lies in shipping costs — especially in a country as large as Brazil. At the same time, rising demand for faster deliveries and efficient returns management are also challenges to overcome.

Finally, regarding technological trends that support last-mile operations, Faria explains:

“We apply data analytics and artificial intelligence to forecast demand and fashion trends, helping align product assortments with consumer preferences and reduce inventory losses. Our distribution center has a high level of automation, and we’re increasingly applying AI to transportation management.”

When it comes to healthcare, the conversation changes. Castro explains this distinction in the sector’s last-mile model:

“The market adapted out of necessity during the pandemic. Before, we used exclusive couriers; then came the apps, which made everything much faster. It was both a response to the pandemic and a global trend driven by marketplaces.”

From its inception in the pharmaceutical segment, the last-mile model has made its importance clear:

“Other categories have more time; the pharmaceutical channel doesn’t.”
This urgent demand completely reshapes the operational logic.

To achieve high urban coverage and maintain timely deliveries, Grupo DPSP — owner of Drogaria São Paulo and Drogaria Pacheco — operates over 1,600 stores that also serve as distribution points, along with 7 distribution centers, a much higher number than other sectors. In addition, pharmacies’ street-level locations make dispatch easier compared to mall stores.

And what about quality control during delivery? After all, certain medicines require special handling during transport and storage.

“Our quality control strictly follows all regulatory agency standards. We work with three product categories: over-the-counter drugs, thermolabile drugs, and special medications such as oncology treatments. Each requires a specific logistics partner. Thermolabile products need refrigeration and security because they’re high-value targets, while special drugs require temperature control for over 24 hours.”

The concept of the “last mile” is universal — but what it represents, how it’s structured, and the challenges it entails differ across industries.

While Dafiti prioritizes meeting deadlines (not necessarily the shortest ones) and maintaining competitive shipping prices, Daki needs speed to meet demand quickly, satisfying customers and preventing losses due to perishability.

One worries about perishability and uses dark stores for rapid delivery; the other focuses on cost and tracking transparency to build trust and reliability. But in the end, there’s a single common focus: the customer.