Amazon Prime Day is coming. Make a delivery plan to avoid package theft
- NYC ranks second highest among the U.S. cities for delivery theft
- Use a locker, collection point, or the buddy system whenever possible
With millions of New Yorkers receiving deliveries that are often left unattended, the last leg of the delivery can be the diciest part.
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Another popular Amazon Prime Day event is happening Tuesday, June 23rd, to Friday, June 26th, when exclusive deals are available to members. But before you start filling up your shopping cart, one online retailer urged New Yorkers to consider how to get their packages delivered safely.
That’s because New York City ranked second-highest among in the U.S. cities for package theft in 2025, according to a report. Thieves stole $248 millions worth of goods as a result of 6.37 million incidents at NYC apartment buildings and houses, according to SafeWise’s 2025 Package Theft Report.
That steep financial loss is due in part to NYC’s large population and multi-family-style housing. With millions of residents receiving deliveries that are often left unattended and highly visible at their final destination—in a lobby, near an entrance, or on a stoop—the last leg of the delivery can be the diciest part.
Shane Margereson, owner of UK online retail site Ecigone, said shoppers should treat their delivery strategy as part of the purchase, not an afterthought.
"Prime Day is exactly the kind of shopping moment where people order quickly and then forget the delivery risk. In a city like New York, a parcel can pass through several shared spaces before it reaches the customer, so leaving it unattended is a gamble," he said.
Margereson advised using an Amazon locker, collection point, or signed delivery whenever possible.
If you opt for signed delivery, obviously you or someone in your household needs to be available to sign for the package, which isn’t always very convenient.
Still: “The safest parcel is usually the one that never waits in a lobby or on a doorstep," Margereson said.
Here are some more time-tested Brick tips for how you or your building can prevent package theft.
Get your neighbors on board
If you don’t have a doorman, you need to take some simple, common-sense steps to safeguard your deliveries.
For example, post a sign (or ask your building to do so) reminding your fellow residents to never buzz in strangers. It just takes a few seconds for a thief to get in and get out with packages sitting near the door.
Tracking your delivery makes sense—you want to know which day to be home to receive your package. Signing up for text alerts means you get a notification the moment your package has arrived and can go scoop it up before a thief does.
Try the buddy system. If you can’t be there to receive your package, ask a neighbor if you can text them to take your package inside for you (and offer to do the same for them) when you receive a delivery notification.
A secure delivery location away from home
Another strategy is to have your packages sent to secure location. For Amazon purchases, you opt to use a free Amazon Locker as your shipping address. Select a locker closest to you at check out and use an access code sent by Amazon to retrieve your package.
You can also get a United States Post Office box. They come in four sizes, and your package doesn’t have to fit inside. For large items, you’ll get a slip in the mail telling you to pick it up from the counter during business hours or retrieve it from a secure parcel locker. A small, 5-inch by 5.5-inch PO box costs $306 for 12 months at the Post Office at 775 Fourth Ave. in Brooklyn.
For townhouse owners or self-managed buildings, a large locker on your property like this Landport is an option. An access code is provided to delivery people (and fellow residents) to open it. It comes in a choice of colors and costs $699.
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