It seems as if a new valet self storage facility pops up practically every week. From Hong Kong to Singapore, these facilities are growing at an alarming rate and now our neighbors up north have joined in. Startup valet self storage company DBox Self Storage Inc. has recently been launched in Vancouver. It gives customers the ability to categorize their items, schedule pickups and have those items delivered to a self storage facility, all without lifting a finger or leaving the house. So far, it has delivered 128 boxes, packed 115 of them and have 108 boxes “in the cloud”.
According to a press release from DBox, “Valet storage has become an international phenomenon in many of the world’s metropolitan cities,” said co-founder Patrick McLaren. “In recent years, London, New York, Seattle, Hong Kong and Toronto have all seen many valet-storage companies pop up because it’s an extremely convenient and affordable solution to the accelerating issue of limited storage in high-density living spaces.”
Canada is finally catching on to the trend that has been dominating the self storage industry in both the U.S. and the rest of the world. Interestingly enough, the idea for DBox came after a visit to Hong Kong, which recently introduced a number of valet self storage options. “When we saw how successful valet storage is in major metropolitan cities, we couldn’t believe it wasn’t being done in Vancouver,” said co-founder Jeffrey Cheng “It’s an ideal place for [this type of business] because our population is expanding rapidly, and we have nearly the highest amount of condo construction in North America.”
DBox prices keep in line with industry standards. A standard bin is $7.50 per month while oversized boxes attract a price of $20 per month and a minimum contract of two months is required for all tenants. Like many other valet self storage services, boxes are picked up and delivered within 24 hours and attract a delivery fee.
