Faced with a severe labor shortage and grappling with heavy workloads amid a surge in online shopping, courier companies are teaming up with convenience stores to distribute parcels and relieve some of the burden on drivers.
In April, Yamato Transport Co., which runs the country's largest door-to-door delivery service, began installing lockers at 30 Seven-Eleven convenience stores in Tokyo. Busy recipients can register online to have packages delivered to the lockers, then pick them up at their leisure.
The aim is to reduce the need for delivery workers to make repeated visits until they find the recipient at home.