The holiday shopping season has arrived, ushering in a familiar wave of record-shattering eCommerce. In 2024, U.S. consumers spent $241.4 billion online during the holidays alone, an 8.7% year-over-year increase. 2025 is expected to reach even higher, with Adobe forecasting $253.4 billion in online holiday sales from November 1st to December 31st.
For multifamily properties, that translates into thousands of packages flooding into buildings across the nation, all in a matter of weeks. And with each new delivery, the risk of theft grows. In 2024, 58 million Americans experienced package theft, resulting in $12 billion in losses.
These numbers underscore a clear reality—multifamily communities need scalable package management solutions that can handle peak holiday delivery volumes without compromising convenience or security. Yet identifying the right package delivery system can be challenging as every property faces unique space, staffing, and resident experience requirements.
This blog breaks down how the core five package management solutions—manual handling, off-site delivery services, package lockers for apartments, basic package rooms, and smart package rooms—handle peak holiday package volume.
It also explains why the Smart Package Room® system stands out as the must-have amenity to manage holiday deliveries.
What Are Package Management Solutions?
Package management solutions are systems or processes designed to organize, track, secure, and streamline the delivery and retrieval of resident packages in multifamily apartment buildings.
In the past, this process was entirely manual. Leasing staff received parcels, logged them in spreadsheets, stored them in back rooms or closets, and sent individual notifications to each recipient.
As eCommerce evolved, so did technology. Today, solutions range from off-site to parcel lockers and basic package rooms to high-tech smart package rooms that use AI and computer vision to automate the entire delivery and retrieval process.
Why Investing in a Smarter Package Management Solution Matters
Investing in a smarter package management solution enables multifamily properties to keep up with the growing consumer preference for online shopping. As more residents prefer to shop online, multifamily communities are processing unprecedented amounts of packages per week.
In a time where efficiency and convenience are key, investing in a smarter package management solution leads to:
- Staff Efficiency: Smart package management solutions reduces the burden of manual package handling for leasing teams, saving them hours per day
- Resident Satisfaction: Faster pickups, fewer lost items, and secure 24/7 access boost retention and reviews
- Reduced Liability: With a digital audit trail, properties can eliminate disputes and theft-related claims
- Operational Scalability: One system scales across multiple buildings, ensuring consistent standards
As parcel volumes are projected to exceed 30 billion by 2030, properties that invest in smarter package management solutions now will be much better equipped to handle future volume.
The Five Core Package Management Solutions vs. The Holiday Package Volume
The core five package management solutions consist of: manual handling, off-site delivery services, package lockers for apartments, basic package rooms, and smart package rooms.
Below, we explore each solution to see where they succeed and fall short in managing the increased holiday package volume.
Manual Handling:
Manual package handling is the only non-automated package management process of the core solutions. It solely relies on staff to receive packages, store them in a back room or office, notify residents manually, and hand each item off to the right person.
Pros of Manual Handling:
- Minimal upfront cost beyond shelving
- Works for very small buildings or temporary situations
Cons of Manual Handling:
- Staff package handling time soars with volume, as holiday weeks can consume entire shifts with package handoffs
- High delivery error risk (misplaced items, incorrect handoffs, limited documentation)
- Limited pickup hours—residents’ pick up during office times, creating friction and poor reviews
- Security gaps—it isn’t easy to maintain a clear chain of custody as volumes increase
Manual handling may be viable for small properties with low volume. Still, it is the hardest to scale during the holidays because it lacks the technological and hardware infrastructure that modern-day package delivery systems offer.
Off-Site Delivery Services:
Off-site delivery services rely on third-party providers who receive residents’ packages from online retailers and store them in a warehouse for scheduled delivery to their multifamily apartments. Residents place full faith in the third party to store and deliver their items during the scheduled window.
Pros of Off-Site Delivery Services:
- Outsources the onsite package capacity challenge
- May help properties with severe space limitations
Cons of Off-Site Delivery Services:
- Residents wait for scheduled drop-offs—less convenient than onsite, self-service
- Adds fees or per-package costs—economics often worsen at scale or over long periods
- Extends the chain of custody beyond your building—issues can be harder to trace and resolve
Off-site delivery services can relieve space pressure at multifamily properties, but they come at the cost of convenience and control—two key factors that shape the resident experience.
Package Lockers for Apartments:
Package lockers for apartments use modular locker banks and a kiosk for couriers to deliver packages to residents. Residents receive an access code that unlocks the specific compartment where their item is located.
Pros of Package Lockers for Apartments:
- Clear package pickup experience with individual compartments opening to identify the location
- Useful for small and medium parcels at moderate volume
Cons of Package Lockers for Apartments:
- Lockers have fixed, rigid compartments. Oversized items, odd shapes, and seasonal surges quickly outstrip available space
- You can’t resize compartments dynamically—doors sit idle when the mix of package sizes doesn’t align
- Overflow and oversized packages drive staff back to manual processes (defeating the purpose)
- Considerable hardware footprint to scale, with a diminishing return on cost per package handled
Although package lockers for apartments are familiar package management solutions, their rigidity can become a bottleneck during the holidays. Even with added towers, properties still face overflow and a parallel “Plan B” process for oversized or irregularly shaped items.
Basic Package Rooms:
Basic package rooms are typically developed by renovating and repurposing existing storage areas or building new spaces in a new development. Basic package rooms add a simple layer of automation software that facilitates secure, convenient self-service access for courier delivery and resident pickup. Hardware includes kiosks for room access, door strikes, and modular shelving with monitoring devices.
Couriers enter their credentials at an external kiosk, which grants them access to the room where they can scan and place packages on designated shelves. Residents receive delivery notifications and use their pickup code to enter the room and search for their items.
Pros of Basic Package Rooms:
- Higher capacity than lockers—shelves are flexible
- Lower cost than high-tech delivery systems
Cons of Basic Package Rooms:
- “Find-it-yourself” experience increases misplacement and theft risk
- Limited chain-of-custody visibility—disputes are tricky to resolve
- Minimal automation for precise package location guidance
Although basic package rooms are a higher-capacity option, their lack of package location guidance can turn into a chaotic search-and-rescue mission—especially during peak holiday weeks.
Overall, the package management solutions mentioned above work to a point. However, during peak season, they create operational inefficiencies for staff, couriers, and residents.
Smart Package Rooms:
Smart package rooms encompass the next generation of package management solutions. Smart package rooms are custom-designed and are adaptable to existing spaces or newly developed areas. Solutions combine access control and intelligent tracking software to manage deliveries end-to-end. Hardware consists of kiosks or tablets for secure round-the-clock access, flexible open shelving, and monitoring devices.
Couriers or staff enter an access code or scan a keycard or fob. Once inside the room, they capture package labels and place items in designated areas. Residents receive instant text, email, or push notification with access credentials for secure entry. Once inside audio and visual cues guide them to the precise location of their package, reducing the burden of package handling on staff.
Pros of Smart Package Rooms:
- Easily scales and customizes to your building’s layout
- Utilizes less space while accommodating higher package volume than lockers
- Secure, 24/7 self-service access for residents, couriers, and staff
- Flexible shelving and overflow areas support any size and type of package delivered (including oversized and specialty items)
- A complete digital chain of custody with 24/7 monitoring reduces theft or loss
- Package location tracking, audio, and visual guidance for faster pickups
- Bulk package delivery for couriers and staff, with automatic resident assignment, expedites the delivery process
Cons of Smart Package Rooms:
- Requires a dedicated room
- Higher upfront investment than basic rooms, but offsets cost by reducing manual labor
Unlike manual handling, off-site services, lockers, or basic package rooms, smart package rooms are built to scale and flex, absorbing peak holiday volume without overwhelming couriers and staff or frustrating residents.
Five Pillars for Choosing the Right Package Management Solution
A modern package management solution automates every touchpoint, from courier drop-off to resident pickup, providing transparency, accountability, and operational relief for multifamily building staff.
But not all solutions are built equally. As multifamily buildings scale in size or resident volume, the question shifts from “Do we need a package management solution?” to “Do we have the right one?”
Choosing the right multifamily package delivery solution means balancing five key pillars: scalability, security, capacity, convenience, and staff efficiency.
1. Scalability:
A truly scalable package management solution should adapt to rising delivery volumes without significantly expanding staff workloads or requiring expensive physical upgrades. Look for modular solutions, as they provide the most efficient way to scale.
2. Security:
With package theft on the rise, secure access and visibility are essential to any multifamily package management solution. Systems should offer 24/7 monitoring, access-controlled security, and a digital chain of custody that records every handoff from courier to resident.
3. Capacity:
Multifamily communities handle a variety of package types and sizes, from small padded envelopes to large appliances. Package management solutions should accommodate all package sizes and types. Flexible configurations and dynamic storage enable this.
4. Resident Convenience:
Multifamily residents expect a seamless package pickup experience. Instant notifications, quick pickups, and access on their schedule. A smart package delivery system should enable 24/7 self-service access.
5. Staff Efficiency:
Every minute staff spend receiving, logging, searching, or handing out packages is time not spent on higher-value work. As parcel volumes grow, the need for a fully automated package management solution only becomes more important. Investigate solutions that have the right level of automation to offset the time-consuming nature of package handling for staff.
By evaluating your multifamily package delivery solution against the key pillars above, multifamily operators can determine whether they have the right solution or need to upgrade to better prepare for holiday deliveries.
The Smart Package Room System: A Smarter, Scalable Package Management Solution Built for Holiday Volume
As package volumes at multifamily apartment buildings reach a breaking point, the need for a smarter, scalable package management solution has become the top priority for every multifamily operator.
Enter the Smart Package Room® system—a high-tech, all-in-one package management solution designed to handle the holiday package influx efficiently. Unlike most traditional solutions, the Smart Package Room solution is fully automated. Its innovative software and minimal hardware design boost efficiency for couriers, residents, and staff alike.
The following sets the Smart Package Room solution apart from other traditional package management solutions.
Scalable, Higher Capacity Open-Shelving Design:
Unlike fixed locker systems, the Smart Package Room system uses open, modular shelving that stores up to three times more packages in the same footprint. The dynamic design adapts to accommodate all sizes and types of packages, from standard and oversized packages to envelopes, to refrigerated items and dry-cleaning.
This makes it ideal for high-rise multifamily buildings where delivery volume is at its peak.
AI-Powered Precision Tracking and Laser Guidance:
At the heart of the Smart Package Room system is its AI-powered precision tracking technology. The technology continuously monitors the exact location of standard packages in the room and provides light and laser guidance to direct residents to their packages in seconds.
For other items, such as oversized, flat, or specialty packages, the system’s room-mapping display on the external kiosk indicates the general area where the package is located. Once inside the room, residents follow audio prompts to their package.
Overall, the systems’ guided pickups help to significantly reduce the time residents used to spend searching for packages in traditional systems.
Controlled Access and 24/7 Monitoring:
All packages are kept secure behind a locked door accessible only with a QR code or PIN entry by a courier or resident. Every interaction — from courier or staff drop-off to resident pickup — is logged and monitored by presence sensors, ensuring accountability around the clock.
Customizable:
Every property has different space and package volume requirements. The Smart Package Room system is the only solution that can be customized to your building’s footprint. This leads to a more efficient layout as more packages can be stored in less space.
Every multifamily property has its own package volume, available space, and operational flow. The Smart Package Room system is the only package management solution that fully adapts to your building’s needs and footprint. Whether your community has a compact mailroom or a large dedicated storage area, the system can be configured to your building’s layout.
The result is a more efficient, scalable package management environment.
Resident-Friendly Convenience:
Residents receive instant text and email notifications when their package is delivered, complete with secure access credentials via a QR code or PIN. The experience is frictionless, as residents can pick up packages 24/7, eliminating the frustration of restricted business-hour pickup times.
Delivery Efficiency:
The Smart Package Room system allows for faster deliveries with the MobileKiosk™. The handheld in-room package delivery device features Optical Character Recognition (OCR), which automatically reads a package label and assigns the package to the intended recipient. In addition, the MobileKiosk enables staff and couriers to bulk scan deliveries, saving them time.
Together, these attributes make the Smart Package Room system the most advanced, scalable, and secure package delivery solution for apartments.
Preparing for the Holiday Rush and Beyond
As eCommerce continues to rise and annual parcel volume climbs, the holiday season is a stress test for every multifamily community’s package-handling system. Those still relying on outdated package management solutions often see their mailrooms overflow by mid-November, creating frustration for residents and overtime for staff.
In contrast, properties equipped with Smart Package Room solutions will have the best chance to thrive in the chaotic holiday shopping surge and beyond. With scalable overflow capacity, open shelving, laser-guided retrieval, and 24/7 monitoring, every package is stored securely and retrieved effortlessly.
Ready to see how the Smart Package Room system can transform your property? Schedule a demo today.