Condo buildings look for ways to deal with holiday delivery wave

TORONTO – The rapid rise of online shopping is forcing many residential buildings in Toronto to adopt new technology to deal with the influx of parcel deliveries and guard against theft.

During the holidays, it’s not unusual to see packages left on the floor of apartment buildings or piled high at the front desk of condominiums. Typically, it is the concierge who must manage them all.

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“We found that they were so busy just dealing with parcel deliveries and giving out parcels that they were not able to do other things,” said Jeanhy Shim, president of Housing Lab Toronto – an independent housing and research firm.

She said the onslaught of parcel deliveries may soon become a year-round issue.

“We live differently today. There’s a lot of ordering online of everything,” Shim added.

As a result, those designing and running some of Toronto’s newest residential buildings are re-thinking how parcels are received for residents.

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“In all our new buildings we put in an automated parcel delivery system to handle some of those packages coming through to ease the burden that’s coming through the front desk,” said Adrian Wang, director of innovation and sustainability with Tridel.

The system is by LocKourier. Large black lockers with varying slot sizes are set up in a dedicated parcel room with a touch screen used by couriers and residents.

Couriers use the system to securely drop off each package in a locker. When it’s delivered, the resident receives an email or text with a special QR Code. The resident can then scan that code, digitally sign, and their locker door automatically swings open.

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“The whole e-commerce and online delivery phenomenon is coming so fast that I think the whole industry itself is finding its way towards adapting,” said Isaac Chan, vice-president of sales for Concord Adex. The developer’s latest projects will have “super parcel rooms” which will include refrigerated storage for grocery deliveries.

With drone deliveries on the horizon, it’s hard to predict what the industry will look like in the next few years, but Chan said Concord Adex plans with flexibility in mind.

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“We’re trying to build our amenities as adaptive as possible so we can accommodate these changes,” he adds.

For buildings without the bells and whistles and without a concierge, here’s a few tips from police to keep your holiday deliveries safe:

• Have a neighbour pick up your parcel for safekeeping if you are not home;
• Arrange to have the parcel delivered to a work or friend’s address if someone is there to receive it;
• Arrange to pick up the parcel at a delivery service’s branch instead.