Will Amazon Start In-Home Delivery Services? Online Retail Commerce Giant Reportedly Working With Partners On Smart Delivery

Stolen delivery packages left at doorsteps could be a thing of the past thanks to an in-home delivery service Amazon is rumored to be working on. The online commerce giant, which beat out all online retailers when its apparel sales reached $16.3 billion last year, may strengthen their edge by offering in-home delivery.

According to tech industry publication The Information on Monday, Amazon is looking into “smart” methods to safely deliver packages into people’s homes, and is already working with two companies to find a solution to getting packages through customers' front doors or garages.

August, a smart lock company that provides “virtual keys” through iOS or Android smartphones, and Garageio, which offers garage automation via smartphones, were reportedly in talks with Amazon and conducting tests.

In the advent of same-day shipping (also offered through Amazon’s Prime service), apps like Doorman have helped consumers to coordinate package arrivals and shipment timing. According to a study by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, Amazon accounted for 63 million members in July, many of which likely use the company's same-day shipment offering, so it might be time for the company to offer a similar service.

The Seattle-based company is already committed to its delivery methods. Packages from roughly 76 locations in 25 states, according to supply-chain consultancy MWPVL International Incorporated. Amazon is also working on its Prime Air service, which promises customers their packages in 30 minutes or less using drones.

Amazon would likely offer the in-home delivery service upon customer checkout. The service would allow delivery personnel one-time access to deposit packages in a safe location. The Information did propose that the new delivery method could even mean doing away with the external packaging, thus reducing waste and shipping costs.

No formal announcement has yet been made by Amazon.