Symphony EYC Introduces G.O.L.D. Drive – Pick Up and Go Shopping
Aldata, now part of Symphony EYC, the retail and distribution improvement software provider, has announced the availability G.O.L.D. Drive, a new offering that enables shoppers who order groceries online to collect them directly from drive-through depots without entering a store.
Part of the Symphony EYC Omni-Shopper Suite, G.O.L.D. Drive enables shoppers to designate their own collection time and pick up point, so they are no longer constrained by supermarket home delivery schedules. Mobile ordering facilitates shopping “on the go,” and real time availability of products on the retailer website ensures shoppers will not be disappointed with substituted items. Some retailers are going one step further and letting shoppers check their fresh produce at the pick-up point, de-risking the purchase and eliminating a potential barrier to online sales.
In France, where the drive concept is already being adopted, there were 1817 drive facilities at the end of 2012. According to market research group Kantar Worldpanel, 2.3 million French households visited a drive during 2012 and that number is expected to rise to 4.5 million by the end of 2015, equivalent to 6.1% of the total shopping market. Overall, Kantar forecasts that rapid drive adoption will result in 4.5 million fewer shoppers in French stores in 2015.
French independent retailer Système U is forecasting that the turnover of its drive format will double in 2013 and again in 2014. The format, which will turn over $321 million in 2012, is expected to generate $643 million in 2013 and $1.3 billion in 2014 as the retailer extends the service from 500 to 1,000 stores over the next two years.
Never Miss a Retail Update!Combining G.O.L.D. Warehouse Management and G.O.L.D. Warehouse Voice Operations, G.O.L.D. Drive expedites preparation of online orders for pick up either at a dedicated warehouse or in a pick-up facility co-located with a store. In France, a major hypermarket has implemented G.O.L.D. Drive to provide a full service with fast turnaround. Orders can be placed up to two hours prior to pick up and shoppers have their products within five minutes of their scheduled arrival at the depot.
Donal MacDaid, Vice-President for G.O.L.D. Supply Chain at Symphony EYC, said: “G.O.L.D. Drive, part of Symphony EYC’s Omni-Shopper Suite, is made possible by real-time supply chain software that provides committed availability of items at time of order. This guarantees availability with no substitutions and no frustration.”
