No waiting for the postman or courier. Even larger parcels are now being collected by some people in the comfort of their own home, perhaps in slippers - in a home delivery box. A new delivery service is being launched in the Czech Republic. A company in Vysočina is manufacturing special boxes for Balíkova. Next year, it plans to expand its offer with refrigeration, for cooperation with a food delivery company.
They no longer queue at the post office to pick up a parcel. They don't have to go anywhere or wait for a courier. Ondřej Novotný from the Havlíčkobrod region in Vysočina has bought a home box. The new delivery service was recently introduced by the Czech Post's parcel office.
Novotný lives in a family house on the outskirts of the town. "At least once a week I receive a larger parcel and I can comfortably pick it up at home after work. Currently, Christmas is a great opportunity to use the box. I get presents coming in there," the man told the Journal.
He bought a version of the private box that can hold two shoeboxes. "I like wine, so I appreciated that a carton with six bottles fit in the box," Novotny added.
Just a numerical code and a battery
Household delivery boxes are newly manufactured at the Pelhřimov plant by OX Point. "The most important advantage is time flexibility for the box owner. The mini variant for households is especially suitable for owners of family houses and smaller companies. Another set of boxes is supplied for apartment buildings and another type is suitable for large companies," outlined the company's operations director Vladislav Král.
The metal box made of sheet metal has a load capacity of 30 kilograms. It is enough to fix it, for example, on a fence, a wall or a solid floor at a family house. Then it is only necessary to ensure that the battery of the safety lock for the box is working. Unlike boxes designed for municipalities, there is no need for an electricity connection or working internet. The parcel in the box can also withstand inclement weather.
According to King, the price of the boxes for households is in the thousands of crowns. The household boxes are delivered by all carriers who are willing to punch in a numerical code on the keypad of the lock. "People can encounter OX Point's boxes under the brand name Balíkovny, and the e-shop Alza.cz also sells them," he mentioned.
The smallest and simplest smart boxes at these retailers cost around CZK 6,000 before Christmas this year. There is no fee for using the box directly. The four-digit PIN code can also be given to anyone. A neighbour or relative can pick up the parcel for them.
Refrigeration enables food delivery
According to a spokesman of the Czech Post Ivo Vysoudyl, the home box makes sense for anyone who is not available at the address where their parcels arrive and does not want to go to the delivery points, which have fixed opening hours. It is also convenient for residents of isolated places or houses on the outskirts of villages. "We see interest mainly from individuals, self-employed people and companies. An alternative service, Home Box for apartment buildings, is designed for HOAs," he said.
The new Household Box service was launched in September. So far, it is just getting off the ground. "Overall, we have delivered higher dozens of orders to customers," Vysoudil added.
A variant of the "smarter" box with more automation will additionally allow communication with the transport company. However, it will be more expensive and will need an electricity supply and internet connection.
OX Point plans to launch its own e-shop in 2025. It belongs to the Conteg group of companies, which manufactures and supplies data cabinets, cooling and complex solutions for IT and industry. The company plans to expand its offering to include household cooling boxes soon. "We expect this to happen in the next year. We are cooperating with Rohlik.cz, an e-shop for online food shopping and delivery. We will make it easier for it to operate in small communities," said King.
The company also produces municipal boxes for town halls and offices. The difference from the home ones is big. Municipal boxes can also dispatch parcels or mediate the transfer of items between citizens. Some of the new ones also function as an electronic office board. "They are much more comprehensive. Carriers included in the OX Point system, such as Balíkovna or One by Allegro, can deliver to municipal boxes. Gradually, as an open network, we are including other carriers, and the agreement with DPD has concrete outlines," explained King. According to him, a municipal box can be purchased for about CZK 200,000.
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