Albertsons Adds Pickup Lockers to E-Comm Strategy
Albertsons Cos. is adding PickUp lockers to its e-commerce arsenal in select Chicago Jewel-Osco and Bay Area Safeway stores.
The Boise, Idaho-based company is testing lockers as the newest easy fulfillment option for e-commerce shoppers. Albertsons already offers in-house Delivery and Drive Up & Go options through its websites and apps, and has partnerships with third-party operators to provide fast delivery options.
Albertsons, which reported a 276% increase in digital sales in its first fiscal quarter and continues to add Drive Up & Go stores throughout the country, said that it's looking at all of the ways that it can make customers’ lives – and their grocery shopping – easier.
“Contactless PickUp through our state-of-the-art, temperature-controlled lockers makes it even easier to shop with us,” said Chris Rupp, EVP and chief customer and digital officer. “Whether customers choose to shop in our familiar neighborhood stores or through our websites and apps, we are ready to provide them with extraordinary service where and how they want to get their groceries. Our strategy to leverage technology and innovation to continue to grow our digital business is focused on creating products customers love that truly make their lives easier.”
Delivered by Bell and Howell, the lockers are modular, temperature-controlled, and suitable for both indoor and outdoor environments. Individual columns in the modular setup can be adjusted dynamically to ensure specific temperatures required to meet the wide needs of a variety of customers’ online orders are maintained.
“We are excited to partner with Albertsons Cos. to help them deliver a convenient and contactless pickup experience for their customers,” said Larry Blue, CEO of Durham, N.C.-based Bell and Howell. “With our temperature-controlled grocery lockers, Albertsons Cos. customers can quickly and conveniently pick up their entire order, from heated to frozen food items, whenever and wherever they want.”
The lockers will first be available in select Jewel-Osco locations in Chicago and are expected to be installed at select Safeway locations in the Bay Area later in the year. Customers who live in neighborhoods with stores that feature the lockers will notice a new “PickUp” option when they shop on the store’s website or app.
Customers who select the PickUp option will be asked to select a time window to pick up their groceries. Once customers complete their purchase, they receive a unique code that they will use to quickly pick up their order from the self-serve lockers.
Albertsons operates 2,252 retail stores with 1,726 pharmacies, 402 associated fuel centers, 23 dedicated distribution centers and 20 manufacturing facilities. The company’s stores predominantly operate under the banners Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Carrs, Jewel-Osco, Acme, Shaw’s, Star Market, United Supermarkets, Market Street and Haggen.
