A year after a quiet introduction, Amazon is expanding Hub by Amazon, secure keypad-access lockers in high-rise and garden apartments that allow shoppers to grab packages at their convenience. Interestingly, the service is available to other shippers as well as Amazon itself.
Amazon said 500,000 people are already using Hub pickup lockers across the country, with thousands being added each month.
“Building on Amazon’s expertise in locker solutions, the Hub addresses frustrations from property owners, carriers and residents concerning package delivery,” said Patrick Supanc, director, Amazon Worldwide Lockers and Pickup, in a release.
Several large apartment complex developers have signed up to use Hub pickup lockers, including AvalonBay, Fairfield Residential, Pinnacle, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, WinnResidential and Equity Residential.
J.P. Morgan announced a partnership with Amazon to install Hub lockers at 85 multifamily properties totaling more than 23,000 residential units, more than 45% of the 51,000 units it manages on behalf of institutional investors.
Packages delivered to a Hub pickup locker are placed in a touchscreen lockbox that opens with a passcode. Amazon has had secure pickup lockers at locations like public transportation stations, convenience stores, grocery stores and retail outlets for years. The company began rolling them out at select Whole Foods locations after the 2017 acquisition.
Other providers of pickup lockers include Packcity (ProShip), Packstation (DHL), Drop Locker, Package Concierge, Parcel Pending, Luxer One and KePol.
MCM Musings: The use of pickup lockers is gaining momentum as apartment building concierges are getting overwhelmed with ecommerce deliveries, and consumers find the service convenient and secure. It also avoids the uneasiness some may feel with in-home delivery when absent – even with security camera monitoring – as being tested via smart locks by Amazon and Walmart. As with everything else, Amazon will likely be looking to own the apartment locker space.