MerryMart rolling out smart lockers

MANILA, Philippines — MerryMart Consumer Corp., the supermarket chain of Edgar “Injap” Sia II, is launching smart lockers to enable customers to get their packages and orders at their convenience without the hassle of long queues.

The company will roll out 5,000 MBOX Smart Lockers in response to changing consumer preferences brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, it said in a disclosure yesterday.

Sia aims to install MBOX lockers in every strategic spot in the country.

MBOX lockers are 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.

The idea is that the packages are delivered to MBOX lockers by accredited couriers and online sellers, eliminating face to face contact.

Customers can order online and pay for it digitally and when their order is ready, they can pick up their packages without having to physically exchange money or interact with other people.

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, Sia said.

It will also allow MerryMart to enhance its online delivery offering by adding MBOX locker pick up options.

The MBOX venture is the first business unit under MerryMart’s consumer technology portfolio.

“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 e-commerce. 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 chief finance officer Hannah Yulo-Luccini.