Sainsbury’s is trialling what it says is the UK’s first 30-minute click and collect service. The launch comes as the country’s grocers work towards ever faster and more convenient fulfilment in a highly competitive market.
Shoppers can order their groceries via the Android version Chop Chop app and pick it up from the supermarket’s Pimlico store just half-an-hour later. They can choose and pay for up to 25 items, seven days a week. When they arrive they show their order number, available through the app or sent by email, at the Chop Chop desk and take delivery of their items. The service is currently free, and adds to a one-hour service already available through Chop Chop.
Clodagh Moriarty, director of online at Sainsbury’s, said: “We want to offer a customer experience that is differentiated in terms of price but also in terms of service, with complete customer autonomy and excellent flexibility.
“The way customers are shopping is changing as they look for faster and more convenient options and we want to continue leading the way in giving them the services they need to shop wherever and whenever they want. We were the first UK supermarket to introduce one-hour delivery last year and we’re now delighted to be the first to trial a 30 minute Click & Collect service. It’s an exciting time for the business and we hope to see a positive response from our shoppers.”
Our view: If it’s successful, this move represents a significant step forward for the speed which grocers fulfil online shopping orders, halving the one-hour collection time that grocers including Sainsbury’s already offer. It’s the latest response to a drive for ultra convenient and flexible grocery delivery and collection. Notable examples of this include Amazon Prime one-hour delivery service. At this point the trial seems to be assessing demand and whether this service can be maintained at this pace. It seems unlikely that it would continue to be free, unless ‘free-ness’ is simply to become the price of competing in a crowded market.
