Inside Outdoor Magazine

Inside Outdoor | SPRING 2018 FLOOR SPACE 44 Special Deliveries Electronic parcel lockers improve deliveries, boost sales Annual package deliveries are increasing at a rapid pace and should continue to do so throughout the foreseeable fu- ture. According to Pitney Bow- es, package deliveries grew by 48 percent between 2014 to 2016, and an annual 17 to 28 percent increase is expected through 2021. Forrester also predicts online retail sales will exceed $500 billion by 2020, up from $347 billion in 2016. As consumers order more and more packages, expecta- tions are naturally skyrocketing. This is largely due to Amazon, which has set the bar very high with its same-day deliveries, free shipping and generous re- turn policy. In fact, in a recent IBM study, 90 percent of re- spondents said they believe the retail giant has changed con- sumers’ delivery expectations. Retailers are therefore get- ting more creative in their ef- forts to ship packages to con- sumers faster and with greater accuracy. One way retailers are doing this is by install- ing electronic parcel lockers, which allow customers to or- der items online and pick them up from secure, in-store vaults at their convenience. These lockers benefit both consum- ers and retailers as they pre- vent theft, reduce last mile complications and generate more in-store foot traffic and impulse purchases. This is a strategy Amazon is actually using with its Whole Foods stores, and the results have been impressive so far. Since Amazon closed its Whole Package Concierge set-up inside an apartment building lobby Package Concierge digital lockers inside a retail store By Gerald Baldino