Morrisons is trialling a new feature to speed up shopping in North Yorkshire, claiming to be the first among UK supermarkets to do it. The retail chain, which has some 500 stores across the UK, is piloting a new, automated, Click & Collect grocery locker at its store in Skipton able to store food at multiple temperatures.
Any Click & Collect order made at the store will be packed in paper bags and stored in the locker, which can be accessed with a six digit code. This allows the food to be kept in the right conditions outside the store, in units marked frozen, chilled, or grocery. Units can hold as many as three bags of shopping, but for larger orders the system will spread it across multiple lockers.
How the new system works
It means customers can pick up their weekly shop without having to even enter the shop or wait until staff can bring it out to their cars. For restricted products, like alcohol, a member of staff will need to verify your age, with the locker inaccessible until you've shown valid ID.
If you do experience any issues, you'll still be able to speak to staff using VoCoVo communication technology integrated into the lockers, the Retail Gazette reports. The system also boosts the number of collection slots available, the outlet reports.
Extended hours and future plans
Morrisons has extended Click & Collect operating hours by two hours as part of the pilot. It hasn't revealed publicly how long the trial will last for, and how soon further branches may get the technology.
Liam Bonfield, store manager at the branch said, according to The Craven Herald and Pioneer: "We know that when customers choose Click & Collect, they want it to be as quick and convenient as possible. Skipton’s new lockers mean their shopping is pre-packed, ready to go and can be collected in seconds right next to the parking bays—giving people more flexibility and time back. We’re delighted to be the first UK supermarket to offer this new experience, bringing best-in-class technology to our shoppers."
Technology partner
Charlotte Exell, Morrisons group online director, said: “We know customers want Click & Collect to be quick, convenient and flexible, and our new locker solution is designed to be exactly that. By bringing StrongPoint’s proven technology to our stores, we can offer more collection slots while removing the wait for colleagues to bring orders to customers’ cars.”
