Package Solution Born from a Dry Cleaning Service

By Mallory Bulman, Associate Editor

Any apartment resident can commiserate about the inevitable feeling of dread when you return home to a missed package slip with your name on it. The hassle, time and money associated with missing or redelivering packages is all too common now that more consumers are opting to buy online and have their purchases delivered. In fact, a typical 200-unit building receives an average of 50-75 packages per day. For those with an inefficient package management system (or none at all) the convenience of online shopping can soon turn to frustration.

Luxer One provides a solution that was borne from a locker-based dry cleaning company. Founder Arik Levy started Laundry Locker, a convenient pick-up and drop-off dry cleaning solution in 2005, and it quickly became San Francisco’s largest dry cleaner. Noticing a discrepancy between the volume of packages coming into apartment buildings and the strategies for handling them, Levy applied his system to package management, and Luxer One was created.

Luxer One lockers are a simple, convenient solution for multifamily buildings. The lockers are operated by mail carriers and residents, so there is no need for on-site staff to supervise or facilitate package delivery. Mail carriers simply deposit the package into a locker, enter their unique access code, and the system notifies the resident and provides them with an individual access code.

“We capture a signature, a photo and a video for every transaction, so the level of security and the level of accountability is tremendous. We know who picked up every single package in our system, when they picked it up, and which locker they picked it up from,” said Luxer One founder Arik Levy. The system’s security measures make package management markedly more secure, eliminating the problems like theft or packages delivered to the wrong person.

While security is a top concern for residents, employee productivity is a top concern for property managers. In many communities, the leasing staff is responsible for package management, meaning that they have less time and energy to focus on their primary responsibilities, and are often interrupted by deliveries. “Just like you might have a package room right now where the leasing staff takes the packages and puts them in a room, in this scenario, the carriers are doing that work for you. Upon pickup, instead of your leasing staff being interrupted and having to go pick up a package, the resident is buzzed in, takes a picture, gives their signature, and under video surveillance, they pick up their package and they’re on their way,” said Levy.

For residents, an automated system like Luxer One gives them peace of mind that they won’t miss a delivery, have their items stolen or miss picking up their mail before the leasing office closes. For property managers, the system means more efficiency from staff, a more secure mail process and less complaints from residents. The automation of package management will certainly become more prevalent as online shopping technology advances, and more people make more of their purchases online.