Co-op pushes convenience and speed with new pilot
The Co-op as revealed plans to cut queues and make click-and-collect more convenient with trials of a dedicated external service hatch.
The initiative is designed to enable time-pressed shoppers to pick up orders placed online without having to go in store and queue.
The convenience retailer has launched the new service in Lewes Road, Brighton – a store which had been identified as one of Co-op’s busiest in the UK for Click & Collect orders through both its own online shop and the Deliveroo App.
Co-op has rolled out its online offer at pace since 2019, and expects to have approaching 2,000 of its stores offering a Click & Collect service by the end of the year. Co-op’s on-demand convenience model sees stores act as micro-distribution hubs with groceries selected fresh in local stores and available for collection, or delivered quickly, in the local community.
Chris Conway, Co-op’s eCommerce Director, said: “Making shopping quick, easy and convenient for our Members and customers is at the very heart of our approach. We know that as a convenience retailer, the ability to come into stores is important to customers, but we also know that shoppers want flexible options online and the ability to shop with speed.
“Our new trials will not only speed up Click and Collect but also reduce queuing times for those who shop in store, supporting our goal of providing what our customers want and need, however or wherever they choose to shop with Co-op.”
Co-op has rapidly scaled its online offer both through its own online shop – coop.co.uk/shop – and, with partners including: Deliveroo – where Co-op is the most widely available supermarket on the Deliveroo app; Amazon Prime and, autonomous robot deliveries with Starship Technologies.
