{"id":7961,"date":"2020-05-20T14:56:01","date_gmt":"2020-05-20T21:56:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.parcelpending.com\/?p=7961"},"modified":"2023-06-14T19:48:00","modified_gmt":"2023-06-14T19:48:00","slug":"is-contactless-delivery-the-future-of-multifamily","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.parcelpending.com\/en-us\/blog\/is-contactless-delivery-the-future-of-multifamily\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Contactless Delivery the Future of Multifamily?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Parcel Pending is the leading provider of package management solutions for <\/span>multifamily<\/span><\/a>, commercial, retail, and university properties in the United States and Canada. With over 2 million packages delivered monthly, we\u2019ve had the unique opportunity to follow how the <\/span>coronavirus outbreak<\/span> has affected multifamily properties across the country, especially the package management challenges related to increases in daily deliveries.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are the most important trends we have observed over the past month:<\/span><\/p>\n

Package volume is increasing rapidly\u2026and will only continue to grow.<\/span><\/h2>\n

Package management is already a very real problem for many multifamily communities. In fact, a report from the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) shows that the average apartment community typically receives 150 packages per week, and that number jumps to 270 packages per week during the holidays \u2013 an 81% increase<\/span>1<\/sup><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since the start of <\/span>social distance<\/span> measures and \u201csafer at home\u201d orders, couriers like FedEx and UPS have experienced holiday-level delivery volume as more people purchase from home for essential items they no longer feel safe getting from physical storefronts or simply cannot find at nearby stores. The USPS alone experienced a 70% increase in package volume since the start of the pandemic2<\/sup>. And recent studies of the nation\u2019s largest grocery chains3<\/sup><\/span> and grocery delivery services4<\/sup><\/span> show that demand for home grocery deliveries has tripled since the beginning of March<\/span>5<\/sup><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

In recent weeks, Parcel Pending has seen a 25% year-over-year increase in package deliveries and is projecting delivery volume to continue rivaling what is normally seen during the November and December holiday season.<\/span><\/p>\n

This struggle with growing package volume is only made more challenging as leasing offices and common areas normally used to store resident packages are closed to both staff and residents. The solution many properties are turning to is contactless smart package delivery lockers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Contactless delivery<\/span> is becoming the industry standard.<\/span><\/h2>\n

Consumer needs and purchasing habits are being rapidly reshaped by new fears and <\/span>social distance <\/span>practices. For instance, many people are avoiding non-essential trips to physical storefronts and instead opting to have their purchases delivered to their homes. Many residents that are now working from home will find themselves working remotely several days a week, if not indefinitely, resulting in the current surge of package deliveries becoming the new normal.<\/span><\/p>\n

People are constantly seeking<\/span> greater convenience, speed, access, security, and personalization<\/a>6<\/sup><\/span>. The next-day, safe, contact-free home deliveries offered by most businesses right now are exactly that. As such, the consumer preference for convenient, contactless delivery options is unlikely to change, even as the world begins to evaluate what \u201cthe new normal\u201d will look like.<\/span><\/p>\n

What does this mean for multifamily communities?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Residents will continue to expect more convenience, speed, access, and personalization from their living environment. However, they are going to expect an even higher level of security both for their essential deliveries and their health \u2013 something that can only be guaranteed with a contact-free community environment.<\/span><\/p>\n

The days of processing package deliveries through the leasing office are likely to change and not just because communities are struggling to keep up with a growing number of packages. Society will likely shift to contactless retrieval and away from package deliveries that require <\/span>physical contact<\/span> with <\/span>delivery driver<\/span>s to mirror consumer needs and habits in the new normal of safer <\/span>social distance<\/span> practices.<\/span><\/p>\n

Expect <\/span>contactless delivery option<\/span>s, like smart package lockers<\/a>, to grow in prevalence around multifamily communities in order to minimize the potential risks of <\/span>delivery driver<\/span>s and residents interacting within confined leasing offices or community spaces, as well as to proactively address these changing health and safety expectations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Secure, convenient, contact-free delivery with Parcel Pending.<\/span><\/h2>\n

Parcel Pending can help communities solve for both growing package volume and changing health and safety needs with our easy-to-use package lockers.<\/span><\/p>\n