There’s nothing more irritating than coming home to find a “Sorry we missed you!” sticky note on your door. Not only do you have to track down your package and pick it up, but you’re probably going to have to pay some kind of inconvenient fee for missing the delivery.

Thanks to the creators of ShopperBox, you’ll never miss another delivery. So how does it work? ShopperBox is an e-commerce delivery solution for multi-family apartment complexes, condominium communities, gated neighborhoods and commercial complexes.

Huh?

Here’s the breakdown:

1. Your landlord or manager signs up with ShopperBox.

2. The lovely installation team brings a ShopperBox to the lobby of your community. Click Here to see a Picture.

3. Each resident can sign up for an account (at no charge) with ShopperBox. They will be assigned a pin number.

4. The residents use this pin number to order products on-line through the ShopperBox computer, or from their computer at home. All orders which are $5.00 or more are delivered at no charge.

5. Any products you order through the ShopperBox couriers (UPS or FedEx) will be delivered directly to the ShopperBox. When the package arrives, you will be notified via email or a voice message (you choose) and you can come pick up your package from the ShopperBox any time, 24 hours a day. You’ll simply enter your pin number into the shopper box, and the compartment with your package will unlock for you.

The first system is at the Cliff Street Lofts in downtown Tacoma. Resident Samantha Barker used the box to retrieve a gift sent by a friend. "In the past we have received sticky notes and had to chase down delivery truck drivers; with the ShopperBox you are able to pick up packages at your own leisure," the 25-year-old social worker said.

Not only will the ShopperBox virtually eliminate all delivery hassles, but the ShopperBox web site features message boards for every multi-family community. You could conceivably advertise a couch for sale, check on local news and weather, submit a repair request and order a book all in one trip!

So what’s the catch? Unfortunately, ShopperBox is currently only available in the Tacoma/Seattle area. However, Rob Greenlee, Director of Marketing, predicts that this system will be available throughout the U.S. by the third or fourth quarter of 2001. “In the future,” says Greenlee, “retailers of all kinds will be able to schedule delivery electronically to a ShopperBox location, based on the request of the customer. These ShopperBoxes will exist in public places and deliveries can be scheduled for home delivery, work delivery or another public location.”

If you’re interested in finding out more about the ShopperBox system, visit their web site for a free, personal tour.

Published: October 2, 2000

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