Due to the rise in popularity of online shopping, this time of the year is the hardest on delivery drives with companies like UPS, FedEx and the United State Postal Service. The USPS alone will deliver roughly 750 million packages before Christmas! Many of us will be receiving multiple packages each day throughout the month of December.

One cool way to thank your delivery drivers is to leave a little treat for them on your doorstep, namely snacks & drinks (depending on your climate). This trend has grown in popularity over the past few years, as more people post pictures of baskets of goodies on social media along with an accompanying note of thanks.

To start, you will need a container of some sort to place all the drinks / snacks inside. You can use something as simple as a cardboard box or you may have something on your front porch already that can be used to hold stuff. Here are a few options:

• Woven Strap Storage Tote:  LINK
• 16-Gallon Oval Steel Tub: LINK
• Weathertight Storage Box, 30 Quart: LINK

Then just fill it up with treats! Most people include bottled water, cookies & chips, but you can mix it up with other options such as granola bars, beef jerky, gatorade, apples / bananas (as a healthier option), trail mix, pretzels, crackers, sodas, etc…

Here are some bulk options on Amazon so you don’t keep having to drive to the grocery store:

• Frito-Lay Party Mix Variety Pack, 32 Count: LINK
• Nestle Pure Life Purified Water, (12 count): LINK
• Quaker Chewy Granola Bars, Variety Value Pack, 18 Bars: LINK

If you are looking for a pre-printed sign to add to your basket of goodies, here are a couple options:

• Option 1 in color JPEG: LINK
• Option 2 in color PDF: LINK

Want to thank the folks delivering your holiday packages? Here’s one way

Originally developed for retail locations like 7-Eleven, Amazon has announced the creation of a delivery system for apartment buildings that don’t have any secure way to store packages when delivered. Called The Hub, this set of lockers is installed at a central location of your apartment complex; ideally in an area like the lobby on the first floor.

Digitally connected to all the lockers, a touchscreen on the front of The Hub controls access. Basically, Amazon sends you a 6-digit code on your mobile device. After punching in the code, the locker holding your package will automatically unlock and open. The smallest version of The Hub is six-foot wide and has 42 compartments, although apartment building owners can purchase larger sizes as well.

It’s very similar to owning a post office box as a USPS facility, but accessible to all delivery companies. It would save time for delivery drivers as well, since they would only have to visit a single location to deliver all the packages for a building. It would curb theft as well, since packages left at the front door of apartments are often targets for thieves.

All the package compartment sizes are pre-configured and include multiple sizes for various box sizes. There’s not a specific price for The Hub, but anyone interested can forward the information to their apartment managers / owners in order to investigate.

Amazon launches ‘The Hub,’ delivery lockers for apartments