Yandex has launched a new combined delivery system. In the new model, the order is first brought by a robot courier, and then a nearby live courier delivers the product to the door of the apartment.
The system is currently being tested in Moscow and St. Petersburg on the Yandex Lavka service. According to the company, this model will help reduce the cost of “last mile” logistics, especially against the backdrop of a shortage of couriers.
The delivery process works like this: a robot picks up an order from a restaurant, store or darkstore and takes it to the front of the building. Then a nearby courier meets the robot and delivers the order to the customer’s door.
Yandex says that the new system will not reduce the couriers’ earnings. On the contrary, one courier will be able to work with several robots at the same time and fulfill more orders.
In the future, the service is planned to be integrated into all cities where robot couriers operate and into the Yandex Eats platform. Users will be able to choose between three options: delivery only by a robot, delivery by a regular courier or a combined model.
