Hmm... You know, they could pre-deliver popular items to local BufferBoxes. And then, as they've got those items already in the space, they could let people look at them to help them decide if they want to buy them right there.
Similar service in Europe: SmartPost (Estonia & Finland)
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SmartPost" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SmartPost</a>
This is a good idea if they have a ton of locations. I could also see a product potential for home models, if that isn't a thing already.<p>The one aspect that I'm a not a huge fan of is that this ads a whole new layer on top of the delivery process.
This is how the standard postal service works in Sweden (except you pick up the package from an employee who checks ID instead of an unmanned box), and why I always avoid sites that ship via FedEx/DHL/UPS. It just makes so much more sense.
Neat. I'd seen the one lurking in the back of Coffee Bar for a few months now, and was wondering what it was about.<p>Interesting that Google has chosen not to brand the boxes, though -- they look just like they did in YC!