Retailers can now partner with August and Deliv to offer in-home deliveries to shoppers. The service works via a smart lock-camera combination, wherein the user grants in-home access to delivery services, while supervising the whole process though a security camera.
August Home tested its in-home delivery system with WalMart in September 2017. Just one month later, the startup was acquired by Assa Abloy.
The partnership with Deliv opens August to a long list of potential retailers who may be interested in the delivery service. The UPS-backed startup says it has a footprint roughly the size of Amazon Prime Now’s next-day service, works with some 4,000 retailers that cover not just big retailers like Best Buy and Macy’s, but also online businesses like BloomThat and Plated.
August says that August Access will appear as another delivery option in cases where a merchant is participating in the program, and those who have the required smart lock on their doors can select it. If a user opts for in-home delivery, the smart-lock system generates a one-time passcode for the Deliv courier. The courier can use the code to gain access to open the client’s door and deliver the package. Users will be informed when the courier arrives via the August app and they can supervise the whole process through the installed security camera.
The company did its own market research and although consumer enthusiasm is not as high as it could be, representatives are not entirely discouraged. Hopes are high that, in time, consumers will grow comfortable with the idea of in-home delivery.
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