As consumers increase online purchases with home delivery, last$-$mile delivery expenses have become increasingly important to marketers. Over half of the total cost of shipping a product from a warehouse $($such as an Amazon distribution center$)$ to a consumer's home occurs during the last phase $($within a city to a customer's home$)$ of the delivery cycle. Marketers are looking at the gig economy as one of a range of possible solutions. The idea is to pay individual sub$-$contractors $($think of Uber drivers$)$ to accomplish deliveries. This synopsis relates primarily to which environmtal force?

Economic

Intermediaries

Customers

Social$/$cultural