Amazon's Hub wants to solve the most annoying thing about receiving online-shopping orders. Here's how it works.
- Amazon is rolling out its Hub machine to more apartment buildings starting Tuesday.
- The machine is designed to give apartment dwellers a secure place to receive packages if they don't have a doorman.
- Retrieving packages sent to people who live in multiple-unit buildings is a big pain point for both online shoppers and Amazon, which often has to resend packages that have been lost or stolen.
Amazon is ready to Hub to it.
Its new Hub machine, which is basically an Amazon Locker for people who live in apartments, is now being offered to building management companies around the country. It was announced nearly a year ago and is already in use by 500,000 people who live in buildings managed or owned by AvalonBay, Fairfield Residential, Pinnacle, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, WinnResidential, and Equity Residential.
The device is meant to provide a safe space for delivery people to stash packages - even ones that haven't been mailed by Amazon.
Here's how it works:
- A delivery is sent to shoppers' usual address.
- Upon delivery to the Hub, the intended recipient gets a code sent via email or text.
- They then enter the code into the machine, and a door pops open to reveal the package.
Amazon Prime isn't required to use Hub, and there's no fee for residents. It's worth noting that the Hub doesn't work just for Amazon packages - the company says it works with deliveries from "any sender."
The Hub works a lot like Amazon's Locker device, which is also intended to be a safe space for people who don't have a front porch to receive packages. Those devices, as Business Insider has found, don't provide quite as simple a process as promised, as they frequently fill up with packages that shoppers neglect to pick up in a timely manner.
As online shopping becomes more and more common, Amazon is hoping solutions like the Hub will make it easier for new customers to join its ecosystem. As another perk for building owners or managers, the device could be useful for keeping hallways and package rooms relatively clear.