Tesco Introduce Click & Collect Lockers
Tesco is launching new click & collect lockers for general merchandise and clothing in London. On the 18th August two London stores; Yiewsley Superstore and Orpington Extra opened their lockers to make it easier and quicker for shoppers to retrieve their orders than the current process. Tesco said that the current average collection time from the desk was around two minutes and the new reduced locker collection time would be as little as 20 seconds.
The lockers are also hoped to be more convenient as shoppers would no longer be restricted to collecting their shopping when customer service desks are staffed (usually 8am – 8pm). Orpington is open 24 hours and Yiewsley is open from 7am – 11pm. Shoppers will have a 14 day collection period to retrieve their order. There are currently 40 lockers at each site and free of charge to use.
The MD of Tesco London, Andrew Yaxley said that they are always looking for way to make life easier for its London customers. “All customers have to do is order online by 3pm and receive a secure code to open the locker via text and can collect as soon as the next day”. The lockers will only be available for GM and F+F clothing to begin with but if successful, facilities will develop to include grocery. One difficulty Tesco are trying to tackle is temperature control and age restricted sales.
At the moment, ASDA is the only supermarket to offer grocery click & collect in store lockers. Asda lockers are equipped for ambient, chilled and frozen lines at its Pudsey store. Waitrose is the next brand set to open a lockers facility, at its store in Gatwick airport this autumn.
Retailers will no longer need planning permission to install click & collect lockers thanks to new plans announced last monthy by Penny Mordaunt, the high streets minister. Under the proposals, part of the Governments plants to renovate and update town centres. Businesses will no longer need permission to build covered collection points and lockers as long as they are within the bounds of existing sites.