Amazon offering private lockers for residential buildings

[Greg S]

Aiming to get into every last nook and cranny for promoting brand image and purchasing, Amazon is now allowing landlords of private residential complexes to apply for lockers to be installed.

Lockers and storefronts are springing up near university campuses and densely populated areas across the country, but this is the first time that sets of lockers will not be available for all to use. Named "The Hub", these lockers also mark the first time Amazon will allow use of lockers by third parties for delivering non-Amazon shipments.

The goal of The Hub is to eliminate the need for a human being to be present for deliveries to take place and make it more convenient for residents to receive their orders. If anyone is concerned about privacy, these lockers should help alleviate concerns of others knowing their online shopping habits.

This system will likely come at a cost to building owners though as the only way to get more information on having one installed is to submit a form with details about the building where an owner would like to have a locker placed.

For those interested, this is exactly the same locker system that can be found in Amazon stores, but a choice of four color options are available as are varying sizes. A six-foot wide base model can hold up to 42 packages and an expansion kit is available to add another 23 units for deliveries.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/70346-amazon-offering-private-lockers-residential-buildings.html

 

[Reehahs]

This seems quite useful. It will help the local post offices in small villages greatly.

 

[erickmendes]

One step closer to autonomous delivery systems.

 

[petert]

I have one near my office, has been there for some months now already

 

[captaincranky]

If the delivery boxes work in the way I think they must, they're pretty darn clever. For example, the boxes are different sizes, as would be a PO Box, which you would rent in a size which suits your particular need.

But Amazon can't predict the size of everything you might eventually buy.

Therefore, the size of the package, now has to be keyed to the size box to which it can be delivered.

It appears to be that now, instead of delivering a package to your address, Amazon will tell you, the address where you can find your goods and chattels. OK, so maybe I amuse easily, but I think that's a really clever hook to insert into the logistics chain.

 

[Greg S]

If the delivery boxes work in the way I think they must, they're pretty darn clever. For example, the boxes are different sizes, as would be a PO Box, which you would rent in a size which suits your particular need.

But Amazon can't predict the size of everything you might eventually buy.

Therefore, the size of the package, now has to be keyed to the size box to which it can be delivered.

It appears to be that now, instead of delivering a package to your address, Amazon will tell you, the address where you can find your goods and chattels. OK, so maybe I amuse easily, but I think that's a really clever hook to insert into the logistics chain.

As an amazon store user myself, I can tell you that amazon doesn't actually tell you which locker your stuff is in. You just get a barcode/passcode that when entered makes a locker open.

You are correct in saying that the lockers vary in size.

 

[mgwerner]

The have had these in apartment complexes in China for several years. From the look of the setup, the same manufacture is building them for Amazon. We got about half of our deliveries this way, the other half by tuk-tuk to the door and a phone call to come downstairs and pick it up. I prefer the auto-lockers, more convenient when on a swing schedule.

 

[mbrowne5061]

If the delivery boxes work in the way I think they must, they're pretty darn clever. For example, the boxes are different sizes, as would be a PO Box, which you would rent in a size which suits your particular need.

But Amazon can't predict the size of everything you might eventually buy.

Therefore, the size of the package, now has to be keyed to the size box to which it can be delivered.

It appears to be that now, instead of delivering a package to your address, Amazon will tell you, the address where you can find your goods and chattels. OK, so maybe I amuse easily, but I think that's a really clever hook to insert into the logistics chain.

As an amazon store user myself, I can tell you that amazon doesn't actually tell you which locker your stuff is in. You just get a barcode/passcode that when entered makes a locker open.

You are correct in saying that the lockers vary in size.

I think he was more saying how, unlike PO boxes where you rent a size and only ever your mail will be in it, Amazon just puts your package in whatever sized box it will fit in and is presently empty. A system then gets you access to that box.

You're both saying the same thing.

 

[lostinlodos]

This design has been popular in Japan for a long while too.
My guess is it will be like large volume post office box locations. Where you would have a designated box that's yours and anything that didn't fit would go in a spare or over size locker.
Post offices that do this will leave you a numbered key in your PO box for the overflow box.
My guess is amazon/ups etc would give you a slip with a key code to open the overflow box.
Though in general using the amazon only amazon box systems they email you a code that you enter and the size matched locker opens up.