Garage Drop Off Examined Again

 Another area we experimented with in the innovation center, and even talked to Amazon about.  Thought it had been discarded, but its back.  With discussion at the link: 

Are garages optimal delivery drop-off points?  by Tom Ryan  in Retailwire

Amazon.com has announced plans to ramp up Amazon Key In-Garage Delivery to over 4,000 cities.

Originally launched in 50 cities in April 2019, Amazon Key In-Garage Delivery enables couriers to open garages and so they can drop packages inside. Drivers receive temporary, one-time access to the garage after the Amazon app confirms the driver’s identity and delivery route via multi-step authentication. Drivers are instructed to go no more than five feet inside the garage.  ... " 

Wal-Mart Asks for Home Access for Delivery

Another case, like the one with Amazon of allowing delivery personnel a means to enter the smart home for delivery.  Amazon Key.  No idea of how that is working, but have not heard it mentioned recently.   We examined the use of refrigerated boxes places outside the home, with separate locking mechanism.  This is not an idea brought up frequently as an asset of the smart home.  So still think its a very niche need today.  But perhaps as family structures continue to change?  Now Wal-Mart makes a try in the same space.

Will customers give Walmart the keys to their homes?   by George Anderson in retailwire with further expert opinion.

Walmart has announced that it is launching its InHome Delivery program in the Pittsburgh, Kansas City and Vero Beach markets. The service gives Walmart delivery people access to customers’ garages or homes where they will put refrigerated and frozen products away in refrigerators.

Customers participating in the program are required to purchase a smart door or garage lock kit for $49.95. Membership to the program is being billed at an introductory price of $19.95 a month for an unlimited number of deliveries. The new service is seen by many as Walmart’s answer to Amazon.com’s Key Service.

Delivery associates will use smart entry technology to enter the homes of customers. Their actions are tracked through wearable cameras. While Walmart typically uses third-party couriers to deliver groceries, only employees who have been with the company for a minimum of a year are eligible to participate in training to work in the InHome program.  ... " 

Expanded Options for Trunk Delivery

The idea was mentioned some time ago. Appears to have somewhat limited appeal, say for ease of secure delivery while at work, but reports here of further uptake would indicate more than expected.  A kind of kind of connected automobile play where ordering can be made from a car, then delivered to a car, anywhere?

Ford Partners With Amazon to Enable Package Deliveries to Trunks in SupplyChainBrain

Ford Motor Co. is the latest automaker opening its vehicles’ trunks to Amazon.com Inc., entering a partnership to enable delivery of packages directly to millions of Ford and Lincoln models.

Ford follows General Motors Co. and Volvo Cars in joining with the online retailing giant to offer Key by Amazon In-Car delivery service. Beginning Tuesday, the service will be available on 2017 and newer Ford vehicles and 2018 and newer Lincoln models equipped with a modem.

Using an Amazon app in conjunction with Ford or Lincoln apps, delivery drivers can unlock the car, place packages in the trunk or back seat and then re-lock the vehicle. It’s aimed at addressing consumer concerns about the security of packages left unprotected on front porches and provides another opening for Ford as it wades into the world of e-commerce.  .... " 

Will People Give Amazon Keys to their Cars?

Delivery to the car trunk, in collaboration with some automobile manufacturers.  Seems a very narrow niche, examples and use cases, but why not try it if the architecture is there?  This has been much in the news.  Amazon is certainly exploring all the channels and sub-channels of retail.

Will Prime members give Amazon the key to their cars?   in Retailwire with discussion by George Anderson with expert discussion.

Amazon.com has announced that Amazon Key, the service that affords the e-tailer access to the homes of customers to make deliveries, is being expanded to include cars, as well.

Amazon Key In-Car enables Prime members with compatible cars to give the e-tailer access to their vehicles when they are parked at home, work or other publicly-accessible space. The service is now available in 37 cities and surrounding areas with plans to further expand the offer. Millions of items will be available for same-day, two-day and standard shipping from Amazon.

A YouTube video of first-time users shows them praising the service. One of the featured customers on the video says, “I needed a few birthday presents for my daughter and thought this would be the perfect use because she won’t find them, and the packages won’t be stolen from my doorstep.”... "

Ring and Amazon

I am a user of the Ring Doorbell, have been since their beginning.   So intrigued by the implications. New kinds of image data collection?  Amazon Key service has been covered here.  Privacy of behavior in the home.

What does Ring mean for Amazon?   in Retailwire  by Chris Petersen with expert comments. 

Through a special arrangement, presented here for discussion is a summary of a current article from the IMS Results Count blog.

Amazon.com in late February acquired Ring, a maker of internet-connected doorbells and cameras, for about $1.1 billion.

Ring is best known for its Wi-Fi enabled doorbells that are equipped with cameras to detect when someone is at the door. Users receive an alert and then are able to view and talk to the individual outside their door through their smartphone.

On the surface, Ring is a powerful acquisition, which launches Amazon further into the home security space. Last year it began selling Amazon Cloud Cam, an indoor security camera of its own design. In December it acquired Blink, a maker of inexpensive internet security cameras and doorbells. Amazon also moves further into the IoT space with more popular products that can connect to Alexa. Google’s Nest also offers a home security system.

The apps and Ring subscriptions will create recurring revenue. All well and good in itself, but several reports on the acquisition focused on how Ring’s technology may build on Amazon Key, a service launched last October that allows Prime members to have orders delivered inside their homes to help deter theft and prevent fresh food from spoiling. .... " 

Amazon to Acquire Ring Doorbell

Somewhat unusual, Amazon acquiring a third party smart home capability.  Link to in-home delivery approaches?   Could lead to better compatibility between systems.    My Ring won't talk to my Amazon video enabled devices.

Amazon to acquire Ring video doorbell maker, cracking open the door in home security market
By Todd Bishop, Taylor Soper and Nat Levy ... "  in Geekwire.

(Update) Rumored for $1B.

In Home Delivery Expands

There seemed to be quite a bit of push back about giving retailers the ability to open your home door and drop a package inside.  Some horror stories emerged.  But the idea seems to be continuing to grow. With more details and Expert discussion:

Smart home partnership opens doors to more in-home delivery  by Matthee Stern in Retailwire

" ... August Homes, a smart home locks startup, which partnered with Walmart on its initial in-home delivery initiative, is now working to enable the service for customers of delivery startup Deliv, according to CNBC. Deliv’s retail accounts include Macy’s, Plated, Kohl’s, Best Buy and Walgreens. As with the Walmart service, a Deliv employee who is making a smart home delivery will be given a unique code that gives them one-time access to the residence. August Homes is planning relationships with other delivery services as well. .....  " 

Who Wants an Amazon Key?

Still intrigued by the Amazon Key as a means to open a unique channel to the consumer.   But who wants it, who fears it, and what do they expect to get out of it?  Can it deliver?  Recode looks at some numbers.

Most Amazon Prime subscribers say they don’t want to buy the Amazon Key that lets delivery people into their homes

But 5 percent of Prime subscribers would definitely buy an Amazon Key.
 By Rani Molla @Ranimolla  .... "

Amazon Key Starts to Deliver

Amazon starts to test another novel supply chain solution.  Easier than direct drone delivery?  Akin to some of the lock box solutions we tested.  But also radically different. The customer buys a $250 technology package that includes a door lock and a cloud camera.  A challenge to customer trust.

 The driver opens the door digitally,  entry and exit is recorded by the camera,  recipient is informed of delivery in real-time.  No additional cost to Prime members. 

Here a new kind of trust is tested between Amazon and customers.   The customer market for this is probably limited at first, but I think will grow.   More expert discussion below.  Will be following.

Amazon to begin making in-home deliveries in 37 cities
by George Anderson in RetailWire.

Amazon.com has announced the launch of Amazon Key, a new service that allows Prime members to have orders delivered inside their homes.

Amazon Key will initially be available in 37 cities starting on Nov. 8. The service will cover millions of products sold on Amazon and will not cost anything additional for Prime members. Amazon Key will work with all of the e-tailer’s free home delivery options — same-day, one-day, two-day and standard shipping. Once a customer has set up the service, they may select the in-home option while shopping. Amazon said it will handle the rest with “no passcodes, no fuss,” according to a company press release.

Amazon Key enables Prime members to monitor deliveries with real-time delivery notifications and gives them the ability to use video to see products being delivered live or later after the delivery is complete. .... "