A new service launched in Chicago on Oct. 23 that allows customers to control when their online orders are delivered . 

“Doorman” serves residents from the West Loop to Uptown, including Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, Bucktown and Lakeside, among other neighborhoods, and allows them use a personal shipping address to set delivery times from 6 p.m. to midnight on any day of the week, according to an Oct. 22 “Doorman” press release. 

Deliveries  on the first attempt fail 20 percent of the time in places like Chicago, but that number can be as high as 50 percent in some areas, “Doorman” founder and CEO Zander Adell said in the company’s press release.

“‘Doorman’ doesn’t replace traditional delivery methods; it serves as a bridge from our national partners, including FedEx, UPS and USPS, to ensure you get your package on your schedule—not theirs,” Adell said in the press release. “We know you work late, so we do too.”

The company allows users to choose from three plans, including $3.99 per package for a two-hour delivery window, $19 a month for unlimited package delivery and two-hour delivery windows and $29 a month for unlimited deliveries and a one-hour window along with unlimited returns, according to the “Doorman” website. 

According to the press release “Doorman” delivers wine, furniture, monthly subscriptions, electronics, perishables and gifts from friends and family.

Adell said he was inspired to create “Doorman” because he always worked late, and he was tired of missing deliveries.

“The idea for ‘Doorman’ solidified for me after I had one too many bad experiences with deliveries. The last straw was a delivery I’d missed all week, and that finally arrived at 7 a.m. on a Saturday,” Adell said in an Oct. 29 email. “As an absurd act of defiance, I didn’t get up when the delivery guy rang my doorbell. Instead, I just lay there and thought about what was necessary to fix the problem. I realized all you needed was a proxy shipping address, a simple app and a driving team to instantly put people in more control of package delivery.”

Adell said he wanted to fix the problem of missing and stolen packages—a problem faced by people who live in metropolitan areas.

According to the press release, “last holiday season alone, more than 2 million deliveries were delayed, missing the Christmas deadline, or went missing entirely due to doorstep theft.” 

The press release also stated that the issue of delivery theft is expected to only get worse this holiday season taking into account that there has been a more than 30 percent increase in online shopping in the last few years and anticipated growth for this year.

Emma Sandler, an Evanston resident, said she currently lives in a building with a doorman but would use the service if she ever needed anything like

furniture delivered. 

 “[‘Doorman’ is] something I could certainly see myself using in the future especially because it‘s growing,” Sandler said. 

Sandra Kumorowski, an assistant professor in the Business & Entrepreneurship Department at Columbia, said to sustain  business the company will have to add new services in the future.

 “I think ‘Doorman’ has a cohesive business model and a simple product—this combination is great for all start-ups and their successful launches. I love the idea of the customized package delivery but to beat the competition now customizing delivery systems, and to grow, eventually ‘Doorman’ will have to come up with some value-added service,” Kumorowski said in an

emailed statement. 

In the email, Adell said business is going well in Chicago and he is excited to see how many people opt for the monthly service, which he said is a key indicator “Doorman” is in demand.

Adell said he wanted to bring “Doorman” to Chicago because “[it] has many dense, urban residential areas with people who shop online, and who’d rather not have their packages stolen off their porches,” Adell said in an email.

Adell said he plans to expand “Doorman” to New York next. 

Adell said in the email that the their main focus are neighborhoods with the worst delivery problems, meaning  they are focusing on large urban residential areas.

“We want to make package delivery delightful,” Adell said in the email. “You can get everything delivered these days, where you want it, and when you want it. So why should it be any different for your packages?”