The lockers are being tested by partners (staff) at Waitrose’s head office in Bracknell in the UK, before a plan to roll the service out to branches next year is finalised.
Shoppers who place an order using Waitrose.com will receive a text message containing a PIN number. They can then drive up to the lockers, enter the number using a touch screen integrated in to the locker unit and collect their shopping.
Multiple customer orders are stored in ambient, chilled and frozen temperature-controlled lockers that can be refilled several times a day. The service is free if the purchase is over £50, and an order placed before 11.45am can be collected the next day.
The new initiative follows a successful three-month trial of drive-throughs in five Waitrose shops. The drive-through service will be rolled out further next year.
“Giving our customers as many ways as possible to buy and collect their groceries on the move is key to building on the phenomenal growth seen at Waitrose.com,” said Waitrose ecommerce director Robin Phillips. “Collection lockers will unlock the potential to reach customers in locations where we don’t have a shop, and which are very convenient, such as on the way home from work or the school run.”
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