TORONTO — A Toronto man believes he may have found the solution to prevent “porch pirates” from stealing packages from front doors.
Eric Martin invented a piece of patio furniture that seconds as a safe for parcel deliveries.
Martin calls his invention the “Boxr bench.”
“Boxr is a multifunctional bench with secure storage and it help homeowners to receive deliveries without compromising on-curb appeal,” Martin, founder and CEO of North of Modern Inc., told CTV News Channel on Saturday.
When an online shopper places an order, they will enter instructions to notify the company of an access code, which the courier will use to open the safe and leave the parcel.
Martin said he came up with the idea after experiencing several delivery issues himself, such as lost packages. He said his prototype has been in the works for years, but it has only now come to life.
“The practical side of me kicked in and I decided I was going to do something about this. I started thinking and designing and working on this,” said Martin.
Package theft was in issue in major cities before this year, but as more Canadians turn to online shopping during the pandemic, the country has seen a rise in package thefts.
A recent survey published by FedEx found nearly a third of all online shoppers have experienced package theft in 2020 – compared to a quarter of shopper a year prior.
The survey also found that three in ten online shoppers are worried about their purchases being stolen upon delivery.
Some Canadians have gone as far to take matters into their own hands when combatting thieves, such as leaving a disguised package of cat litter at their door.
Police encourage residents who are concerned about their parcels being stolen to consider alternate methods of delivery.
Martin hopes that in the future he will be able to design a safe that is capable of being controlled by a smart phone. Instead of a courier requiring a password to deliver a parcel, the homeowner will be able to unlock the safe remotely through their phone.
