Cover Story
Smart homes: Amazon making inroads in package delivery, sound systems
Amazon in mid-October detailed a partnership with some of the country’s largest apartment owners and management firms to install its smart phone-connected package lockers at their properties, in the latest sign of the impact that e-commerce has had on the multifamily sector. Developers have sought to include more sophisticated package rooms and concierge services into their new luxury projects in recent years, in an effort to handle the constant stream of boxes coming into their buildings.
A new front in grocery wars: Whole Foods acquisition will add fuel to ultracompetitive supermarket sector
The news of Amazon’s $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods Market this summer came with a bit of irony: Many bricks-and-mortar supermarkets in New Jersey and elsewhere had offered online delivery for years, but Whole Foods wasn’t among them. But at the very least, the deal signaled to those other operators that Whole Foods is not to be taken lightly, especially with Amazon’s stated goal of lowering the chain’s notoriously high prices.
Growth of sharing economy creating new opportunities for developers to distinguish their projects
The growth of the sharing economy — including platforms such as Airbnb, Uber and Lyft — has created new opportunities for developers and landlords, providing additional ways for them to appeal to renters and help their projects stand out in an increasingly crowded market.
For Capodagli, future projects are built on sharing
In partnering with Uber, Capodagli Property Co. aimed to provide another amenity and a new level of convenience for its existing tenants.
The decision is also helping to attract future residents — perhaps in a way that it didn’t expect.
Airbnb’s Friendly Buildings Program: How it works
It has only been a few months since the start of a partnership between Airbnb and the owners of Jersey City Urby, but all signs point to an arrangement that will be mutually beneficial.
