BufferBox (YC S12) launches deal with transit system

http://business.financialpost.com/2012/10/26/startup-roundup-bufferbox-deploys-in-go-stations-builddirects-4m-funding-and-a-doc-on-startups/

by mmccauley • 14 years ago

61 15 14 years ago

business.financialpost.com

brianbreslin2• 14 years ago

These are similar to Amazon lockers in seattle right? Interesting business model (would love to hear more about it somewhere)

tomkit• 14 years ago

It looks like Amazon Lockers are available in SF as well. What differentiates BufferBox from Lockers?

fudged71• 14 years ago

Lockers are just for Amazon packages. BufferBox has partnered with many shipping companies.

untog• 14 years ago

Very clever move. Ideally located, (presumably) with security cameras etc already there, and provided by a transit authority- which are almost permanently cash-strapped.

In short: bring it to New York, please. But expect them to get dented late at night.

mmccauley• 14 years ago

Thanks for the comment! In your opinion, where would be the most ideal location in New York?

andrewcross• 14 years ago

While it's mainly designed for packages, I use it for all my mail now. Would have a hard time going back to not having it.

webmonkeyuk3• 14 years ago

I wouldn't have thought this would have ever got of the ground with potential security issues. An underground station would be the perfect place to plant explosives. In London they don't even have rubbish (trash) bins in the stations.

Perhaps only pre-approved retailers can deliver to it. That system's still open to abuse though.

kineticflow• 14 years ago

Coin-operated lockers are commonplace in commuter stations - this is no different. Your argument seems like a problem specific to the UK, or other countries with such draconian laws.

webmonkeyuk3• 14 years ago

I don't think it relates to law, just common-sense after decades of terrorist attacks in London. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_terrorist_incidents_in_...

I'm guessing that the risks are far lower in the US

solox3• 14 years ago

I've worked in close proximity to these guys, but the math behind their business still boggles me.

There are about 10 slots in their largest box, and they are charging $4 per slot. The average package will occupy the slot for a day before it is picked up. This gives a max revenue of $40/day/box, or $1200/month/box. Slash that figure in half because it is impossible to have all slots occupied simultaneously all the time, and you get $600/month/box.

If they can turn this into a profitable business, they are truly visionaries that see what others cannot.

aboyeji• 14 years ago

I think the pricing right now is mostly to encourage behavioural change. A more sustainable model would be subscriptions (e.g pay $10-$15 a month like a P.O Box and get your mail on your way from work instead of delivered to your house without notifications on arrivals etc) and I think once they see enough repeat behaviour they would go there right away.

Still wonder why they don't just encourage that behaviour right away by giving people free for a number of months then encouraging them to pay once trial period is over. Will probably hasten behavioural change process (people like to make maximum use of free whilst building dependency unintentionally).

Anyway, I'm just a lowly idiot. Def don't know as much about their biz as they sure do.

BufferBox (YC S12) launches deal with transit system

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