Automated Deliveries Give 24/7 Resident Access

An Amazon Locker at a Mark-Taylor property provides 24/7 access to deliveries.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ—With the increasing use of online shopping, management offices have become de facto receiving centers, as multifamily communities struggled with getting packages to tenants. The mounting question of how to get packages to consumers of all residential situations has been a major focus of large retailers for years. In densely populated cities, some operators have completely banned package delivery and others have tried solutions such as on-site storage, 24-hour delivery concierges and other methods that charge fees to residents. Amazon ‘s latest advancement in the pursuit of getting packages to consumers seems to be more efficient than all of those methods. Amazon Locker , an automated package storage facility, was first rolled out in cities such as New York, Chicago and Seattle, where the machine could effectively do the work of a concierge or doorman by collecting packages, storing them securely and allowing the consumer to retrieve them at their convenience 24/7, using a secure scan code provided directly by Amazon. With the concept growing in popularity, Amazon knew the time was right to make a jump into the world of suburban apartments. The Phoenix market was the perfect choice for the first large portfolio installation of the Amazon Locker due to its strong consumer demand and the presence of one of the nation’s largest Amazon fulfillment centers in the West Valley, which distributes more than 15 million packages per day. And, Amazon wanted to exclusively align itself with an operator with enough size to reach the entire Phoenix market but with a specialized focus on class-A properties and a resident base with considerable discretionary income. With its focus in managing top-tier apartment communities, Scottsdale-based Mark-Taylor was the natural choice for the retail giant’s locker method. The Amazon Locker has now been installed at 37 class-A apartment communities managed by Mark-Taylor. It enables Mark-Taylor property residents a pain-free way to receive and return packages on their own schedules, without the extra cost of having management as the middle man. “As online shopping continues to grow, getting packages to our residents securely and efficiently is a focus that is growing by the day,” said Mark-Taylor executive vice president Chris Brozina . ”We’re honored that Amazon has chosen us as their first large-scale partner in this technology but it’s even more meaningful to know that this system won’t put more costs back on our residents; it’s about making their lives more convenient, period.” Brozina says this added tenant amenity is a benefit to residents. And, the Mark-Taylor communities within the locker system have a dedicated website that allows residents to add specific apartment delivery addresses to their contacts. Brozina tells GlobeSt.com: “The retailer (Amazon) is producing these lockers at its own cost in order to make deliveries as easy as possible. It is a way for Amazon to gain a huge footprint to roll out for full market penetration.” The ever-changing world of getting packages to consumers in the fastest, most convenient way possible will undoubtedly evolve significantly during the next decade, but residents of Mark-Taylor communities have just been provided a convenience not yet available in most of the country. Mark-Taylor’s portfolio includes nearly 30,000 residents throughout Arizona, from Goodyear to Gilbert, and south to Oro Valley.