Nobody likes to order a package and track the shipment at work only to go home and it’s gone, stolen off the door step. Aiming to reduce that theft and keep customers happy, tech blog The Information is reporting that two startups that have ties to Amazon are looking at ways to leave packages in a person’s apartment or garage when no one is home.
According to the report, which was covered by Business Insider, startups August, which makes smart locks, and Garageio, which makes connected garage doors, are looking at ways to make Amazon’s idea a reality. The report noted that August is working on technology that allows smart locks to open for delivery people only during certain periods during the day by allowing delivery people to use temporary PINs or through a smartphone.
Amazon has long been looking at ways to deliver packages more efficiently and has even launched its own delivery service in certain U.S. states and more recently in London. In September, the global eCommerce behemoth announced it will begin delivering restaurant-made meals to at least some London neighborhoods — thus putting it into further direct competition with the already-present players in London’s perennially crowded food delivery scene. Just Eat, UberEATS and Deliveroo are just a few of the already-established competitors Amazon is gearing up to face. Not that competing bothers Amazon in the least — it lives to take on (and win) new verticals. The firm said in a statement that Amazon Restaurants will be open for those who are already subscribing to Amazon’s Prime delivery service. Further sweetening the offer, Amazon food deliveries come “prepaid,” so to speak, in that it seems they will be covered under the general heading of the Prime service. This means that orders over £15 pounds (about $20) will be free.
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