MerryMart Consumer Corp. seeks to address both customers’ and merchants’ pain points in last mile delivery through the roll out of 5,000 MBOX Smart Lockers beginning this year.
The MBOX venture to be formed will become the first business unit under MerryMart’s consumer technology (“MTech”) portfolio.
MerryMart’s MTech portfolio will consist of consumer technology companies that may be wholly owned by MerryMart’s consumer technology arm or through joint ventures with strategic partners that will bring long-term operating value to each business unit.
One of the most vital criteria other than being able to enhance the consumer ecosystem of MerryMart, is that the business unit must have the potential to eventually become the largest and the most dominant player in its specific consumer technology field.
MBOX Smart Lockers are a revolutionary system of self-service lockers similar to post office boxes that are accessible 24/7, where customers can collect and drop off packages at their convenience at minimal or no additional cost. As soon as a package arrives, the locker sends a pickup code via SMS/App notification to alert the receiver.
Packages are delivered to MBOX Smart Lockers by accredited couriers and online sellers. Face-to-face contact is no longer needed to complete the delivery transaction. Instead of several stops, a courier can now deliver multiple parcels to one secure location thereby saving time, reducing cost, minimizing failed deliveries, and at the same time helping the environment through the reduction of traffic and carbon emissions.
MBOX Smart Lockers would enable couriers to become more efficient and deliver more parcels in the same amount of time as seen in countries with an already established Smart Locker network.
MBOX also plans to partner with couriers and merchants to provide their customers with a more convenient way to send packages and facilitate quick returns. Customers can skip long queues at courier branches and can opt to process the sending and return of their packages online through the MBOX App while dropping it off at their nearest MBOX Smart Locker at their convenience.
MBOX will also allow MerryMart to enhance its online delivery offering by adding MBOX Smart Locker pick up options. This will eliminate the bottleneck effect of multiple people waiting to pick up their order at the same time. Customers can order their orders online and pay for it digitally, and once a customer is alerted that they have an order ready, they can pick up their order at their convenience without having to physically exchange money or interact with other people.
MBOX Smart Lockers are App enabled both for iOS and Android systems and the units to be deployed this year will have built-in UV disinfection.
“This pandemic has seen a record rise in deliveries and has highlighted the need for a contactless efficient green delivery alternative. But beyond this, we believe that MBOX will improve Filipinos’ online purchase experience and give consumers, couriers and merchants a more convenient, efficient, and secure alternative of delivering and receiving packages,” said MerryMart Chairman Edgar “Injap” Sia II.
“We envision MBOX to soon be a must-have in practically each and every strategic spot in the country,” added Mr. Sia.
“In the past few years in the Philippines we have witnessed several consumer technology companies grow rapidly and suddenly become a vital part of our daily lives, such as Grab and FoodPanda in deliveries, GCash and PayMaya in digital payments, Lazada and Shopee in ECommerce. We have also seen both their respective market share and revenues grow exponentially. We see MBOX to enhance and complement this inevitable evolution and further widen MerryMart’s revenue streams,” said MerryMart CFO Hannah Yulo-Luccini.
MBOX Smart Lockers will begin its roll out of an initial 100 Smart Lockers this year in high-density cities, MerryMart branches, commercial centers, LGU halls, condominiums, subdivisions and office buildings across Metro Manila, and aims to expand the network to 5,000 MBOX Smart Lockers nationwide by 2030.
The MBOX Smart Locker network is expected to significantly increase the interaction between MerryMart Group and the general consumers of the Philippines./PN
