Amazon is going to deliver products indoors when the customer is not at home. Prime members can give the delivery driver access to their garage with smart locks. Earlier, the US giant tested in-home delivery.
The 'Key for Garage' service is only available to members of subscription service Prime for now. They can buy a smart door lock from Amazon in advance. Amazon will launch the delivery service in the second quarter of 2019. It will then be available in 37 US cities.
Amazon smart lock cracked earlier
Amazon previously tested the smart door locks with a select group of customers. Consumers could use an app to see who was at their door and open the door remotely. That system proved fraud-prone and evoked distrust among consumers. Rhino Security researchers were able to disable the camera and sneak into a home unseen.
The new Key for Garage service, which only allows the delivery driver access to the garage, should potentially win the trust of more consumers.
Technology also tested in the Netherlands
Smart locks are also being experimented with in the Netherlands and the rest of Europe. Albert Heijn and Nuki tested the use of the technology last summer among a select test group. In October, the test group was extended to Alkmaar. "People are not yet used to their groceries being delivered to their homes while they are not there themselves. The main objective for Albert Heijn is to gain insight into the perceptions and opinions of both customers and delivery staff with this new delivery method," Julie Kuipéri, Innovation Specialist at Albert Heijn, said of the trial.
Zalando and bpost
Zalando and bpost also investigated whether consumers are enthusiastic about delivery to behind the front door. The two parties tested the service among 750 consumers in the Antwerp area. Nuki smart door locks were also used for this pilot.
According to Zalando, the results were "very encouraging". "At the end of the experiment, nine out of 10 people asked if we could continue this service. In terms of challenges, the installation was quite time-consuming and relatively expensive. For example, there are a lot of different types of doors. That sounds very basic, but it turned out to be one of the hurdles."
Image: Jeramey Lende / Shutterstock.com
