Tech firm Fillogic will open “microdistribution hubs” at five New York City-area malls by July 1, including Brookfield Properties’ Paramus Park and Macerich’s Deptford Mall, both in New Jersey, as well as Taubman’s Stamford Town Center in Connecticut. Fillogic plans to grow to 10 malls in the New York City area by the end of the year.

Fillogic staff at each property go to nearby stores to pick up merchandise that customers have purchased online. Fillogic staff then aggregate and pre-sort the items by freight delivery network and ZIP codes for consolidated pick-up by parcel carriers.

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The third-party service takes the burden off retailers, according to Fillogic co-founder and co-CEO Rob Caucci. More than 60 percent of mall-based retailers have ship-from-store capability, and malls average 950 to 3,200 packages shipped daily, he says. “Stores are not designed to function like warehouses, and store associates are not optimized for fulfillment functions,” he added.