Jordan O'BrienAmazon is constantly trying to make it more convenient for customers to receive their online purchases, but the latest manoeuvring from the retail giant could be a step too far for some. That’s because Amazon is hoping that users will give access to their homes to delivery drivers in order to have their parcels safely delivered inside their home.
According to The Information, Amazon is working with August, the smart lock manufacturer, and Garageio, a start-up that builds connected garage door openers, to make in-home deliveries a reality. It works by giving a one-time access code to delivery drivers that they can access through the Amazon App.
Delivery drivers are often poorly presented in the press – with almost daily instances of miss-treatment of parcels reported by customers. With this bad rap it remains to be seen whether users will be willing to let them into their homes. On the flip side however, it means that a user’s parcel will always be safe and won’t just be left in ‘a safe place’ designated by the delivery driver, which can be anything from a wheelie bin to the doorstep.
Over recent years Amazon has strived to make deliveries even more convenient for online shopping customers. It’s already experimenting with in-car deliveries and Prime Air deliveries, which will see drones able to bring parcels directly to the consumer. Whether this new in-home delivery method amongst all these other services remains to be seen – especially since Amazon now offers one-hour delivery windows in many areas.
Despite security concerns, Amazon says there are many benefits to direct in-home deliveries. This includes the ability to leave out the external packaging that’s typically used to protect packages from the elements, saving on both wastage and shipping costs.
With smart locks gaining in prevalence, the potential cost savings from in-home deliveries are likely to lead to a full-scale roll-out.