Tesco is taking its click and collect service off its premises and towards its customers, in a new trial that will see grocery deliveries made in locations from schools to libraries.
The supermarket has launched a trial of the service extension in York, and it says it will roll it out to London and Dingwalls, Scotland, before Christmas.
York customers can now place their grocery order online and select a non-Tesco collection point from a choice that includes a park and ride location, a car park and a school car park. Picking up their order takes just a few minutes, says Tesco.
The new service comes at a time when, according to research from grocery analysts IGD, nearly one in five online grocery shoppers used click and collect services in the last month, and a third said they intend to use it more over the coming year.
Simon Belsham, managing director of Tesco.com, said: “Customers up and down the country already love using Click & Collect because they can do their shopping trip in a matter of minutes, even with the whole family in tow.
“We think customers are really going to like the extension to the service because it makes things even more convenient for them and it means they can fit their shopping in around their lifestyles.”
Councillor Dave Merrett, cabinet member for transport, planning and sustainability at City of York Council, welcomed the news. “Over four million passenger journeys take place on York’s five Park & Rides a year and we’re supportive of any new service which will provide commuters – including some 200,000 residents and 7.2m tourists – with an even better experience as they travel in York,” he said.
“We hope this trial provides shoppers with the option to make a shorter trip to get their shopping, which in turn will result in lower volumes of traffic and lower emissions on York’s roads.”
Tesco also plans to trial the new service in London and Dingwall, Scotland before Christmas.
Tesco pioneered click and collect grocery drive-through in the UK in 2010, a service now available from 200 Tesco stores across the country. Next year that number will rise to 300.
