4 ms·

luxer one and amazon lockers do the same. For example, in the yard of our apartment we have storage cabinets with password locks. The deliver guys won't delive

luxer one and amazon lockers do the same. For example, in the yard of our apartment we have storage cabinets with password locks. The deliver guys won't deliver each package to your door, as it is inefficient, especially because apartment buildings are tall in China, you have to take elevator. Instead, they put packages into one of the cabinet doors. And you will receive a password on your phone. Put the code in, the cabinet door will open. you can then get the package.

billconan 10y ago
but somehow I never saw them in Bay area ...
- et-al 10y ago
  7-11s from SF to Palo Alto have Amazon Lockers. It's a great idea, but someone needs to pony up the space.
- linkregister 10y ago
  There are only nine Amazon lockers in San Francisco. And five more in the immediate East Bay. It would be pretty easy to miss them. https://www.amazon.com/gp/css/account/address/view.html https://www.amazon.com/gp/css/account/address/view.html
  - billconan 10y ago
    If I have to drive for miles to reach the locker, then I'd rather have my packages delivered to my door. That's why I thought China can implement this idea better, because by a walking distance, you can reach thousands of people. But in the U.S., it may be a good idea to locate the lockers in grocery stores. Picking packages while doing groceries is also convenient.
    - et-al 10y ago
      Assuming people don't have their groceries delivered as well. ;)
fraserharris 10y ago
BufferBox (YC, acq Google) too...
seanmcdirmid 10y ago
And they did it way before... But China invented the fruit lockers: you want fresh fruit, it gets delivered to a locker in your apartment everyday. I haven't tried it, but was a bit floored when I saw one. We personally just have them leave packages at the wuye (apartment management), any high end apartment just has a counter that will keep your package for you, no need for a locker solution.
- jerf 10y ago
  That's a cost-of-labor problem. Obviously there's no particular technological trick to it; the West had milk deliveries decades ago which is fairly similar. But cost-of-labor makes that impossible to do economically here today; you can't afford to pay someone to deliver something as cheap as fruit or milk in the US, because nobody will pay the requisite markup. Whether that's advantage China or advantage US depends on your perspective.
  - billconan 10y ago
    it's a matter of cost-of-labor and population density. I heard that railway systems in most countries are not profitable, they have to be funded by the government. But the Chinese railway system is so advanced and profitable, due to cost-of-labor and population density. Even high speed railway wasn't a Chinese invention. As a comparison, the U.S. railway is so old and kinda desolate. Most ideas are not originated from China, but they grow better in China. Because of the population density, the network effect is stronger in China.
    - hx87 10y ago
      > the U.S. railway is so old and kinda desolate That's only true of passenger rail though--freight rail in the US works really well.
    - s_q_b 10y ago
      There's also the fact that China is not as burdened by legacy infrastructure and business models. For example, consider high speed rail in California. Due to the existing rail system, the marginal increase in economic benefit gained by building a new high speed system is fairly small. Compare this situation to high speed rail in China. Without the existence of a fairly efficient existing system, the economic benefit to building the high speed lines was massive. This historical pattern is somewhat common. Rising societies have all of the latest advances gained by building previous systems, and none of the existing societies' technical debt. They get the newest and shiniest technological base, simply because they're building it now.
philliphaydon 10y ago
Here in Singapore we have POPStations everywhere: https://www.mypopstation.com/ https://www.mypopstation.com/ Best thing ever.
- noobermin 10y ago
  My gf pointed those out in passing but remarked "no one's using them."
  - philliphaydon 10y ago
    Really? I live in Tanjong Pagar Plaza, we have a post office / popstation in the community area, and use them all the time, every time I go collect stuff I see other people collecting things. Strange to hear no one uses them. Granted, post offices are beginning to hold less and less now, cutting costs I guess, which may be increasing the usage.
- benbristow 10y ago
  Thought you meant this for a minute... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvXleDSkB-g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvXleDSkB-g
- sean-duffy 10y ago
  In London (and the rest of the UK) many convenience stores have parcel collection services. So when I want something from Amazon I deliver it to the Sainsbury's around the corner from my flat and then collect it when I go to buy food on my way home from work.
mikeash 10y ago
My neighborhood has an even simpler system. We all have individual mailboxes, and then there are a few larger mailboxes for packages. When the mailman delivers a large package, he puts it in one of the package boxes, locks it, then puts the key in the mailbox belonging to the recipient. The recipient then gets the key with the rest of their mail, which they use to get to the package. The package locks are designed to capture the key once you use them, so only the mailman can retrieve the key and use it again next time.

billconan 10y ago

but somehow I never saw them in Bay area ...

et-al 10y ago
7-11s from SF to Palo Alto have Amazon Lockers. It's a great idea, but someone needs to pony up the space.
linkregister 10y ago
There are only nine Amazon lockers in San Francisco. And five more in the immediate East Bay. It would be pretty easy to miss them. https://www.amazon.com/gp/css/account/address/view.html https://www.amazon.com/gp/css/account/address/view.html
- billconan 10y ago
  If I have to drive for miles to reach the locker, then I'd rather have my packages delivered to my door. That's why I thought China can implement this idea better, because by a walking distance, you can reach thousands of people. But in the U.S., it may be a good idea to locate the lockers in grocery stores. Picking packages while doing groceries is also convenient.
  - et-al 10y ago
    Assuming people don't have their groceries delivered as well. ;)

fraserharris 10y ago

BufferBox (YC, acq Google) too...

seanmcdirmid 10y ago

And they did it way before... But China invented the fruit lockers: you want fresh fruit, it gets delivered to a locker in your apartment everyday. I haven't tried it, but was a bit floored when I saw one. We personally just have them leave packages at the wuye (apartment management), any high end apartment just has a counter that will keep your package for you, no need for a locker solution.

jerf 10y ago
That's a cost-of-labor problem. Obviously there's no particular technological trick to it; the West had milk deliveries decades ago which is fairly similar. But cost-of-labor makes that impossible to do economically here today; you can't afford to pay someone to deliver something as cheap as fruit or milk in the US, because nobody will pay the requisite markup. Whether that's advantage China or advantage US depends on your perspective.
- billconan 10y ago
  it's a matter of cost-of-labor and population density. I heard that railway systems in most countries are not profitable, they have to be funded by the government. But the Chinese railway system is so advanced and profitable, due to cost-of-labor and population density. Even high speed railway wasn't a Chinese invention. As a comparison, the U.S. railway is so old and kinda desolate. Most ideas are not originated from China, but they grow better in China. Because of the population density, the network effect is stronger in China.
  - hx87 10y ago
    > the U.S. railway is so old and kinda desolate That's only true of passenger rail though--freight rail in the US works really well.
  - s_q_b 10y ago
    There's also the fact that China is not as burdened by legacy infrastructure and business models. For example, consider high speed rail in California. Due to the existing rail system, the marginal increase in economic benefit gained by building a new high speed system is fairly small. Compare this situation to high speed rail in China. Without the existence of a fairly efficient existing system, the economic benefit to building the high speed lines was massive. This historical pattern is somewhat common. Rising societies have all of the latest advances gained by building previous systems, and none of the existing societies' technical debt. They get the newest and shiniest technological base, simply because they're building it now.

philliphaydon 10y ago

Here in Singapore we have POPStations everywhere: https://www.mypopstation.com/ https://www.mypopstation.com/ Best thing ever.

noobermin 10y ago
My gf pointed those out in passing but remarked "no one's using them."
- philliphaydon 10y ago
  Really? I live in Tanjong Pagar Plaza, we have a post office / popstation in the community area, and use them all the time, every time I go collect stuff I see other people collecting things. Strange to hear no one uses them. Granted, post offices are beginning to hold less and less now, cutting costs I guess, which may be increasing the usage.
benbristow 10y ago
Thought you meant this for a minute... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvXleDSkB-g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvXleDSkB-g
sean-duffy 10y ago
In London (and the rest of the UK) many convenience stores have parcel collection services. So when I want something from Amazon I deliver it to the Sainsbury's around the corner from my flat and then collect it when I go to buy food on my way home from work.

mikeash 10y ago

My neighborhood has an even simpler system. We all have individual mailboxes, and then there are a few larger mailboxes for packages. When the mailman delivers a large package, he puts it in one of the package boxes, locks it, then puts the key in the mailbox belonging to the recipient. The recipient then gets the key with the rest of their mail, which they use to get to the package. The package locks are designed to capture the key once you use them, so only the mailman can retrieve the key and use it again next time.