Supermarket chain Coles has launched a new service today which will allow customers to pick up groceries ordered via click and collect in under an hour. The move follows a successful trial run of its “Rapid Click&Collect” earlier this year which saw demand for the speedy order service double.
Coles CEO Steven Cain said customers were constantly seeking out solutions that allowed them to shop “anytime, anywhere and anyhow”.
“Our research shows the number one consideration for online shoppers is convenience and for click and collect customers it’s immediate collection,” he said. “Rapid Click&Collect in under 60 minutes will make it easier for customers to have their groceries conveniently delivered to their car boot as quickly as possible when they don’t have time to shop inside the store.” The new service will be available at 400 Coles stores across the country, with another 200 to be added to the list next year.
But unless you are a Coles Plus member, the service won’t be free, costing a flat fee of $5 per order.
Customers can place an order for up to 40 items, with a minimum spend of $30.
Shoppers can use the Coles app to notify the store when they are on their way or have arrived to collect their Click&Collect order.
The move by Coles comes after Woolworths launched its Metro60 app earlier this year.
The service has staff pack your order from the shelves before it’s dropped at your door within an hour by delivery partner Uber – for an extra fee of $5. Woolworth’s Metro60 was launched for some Sydney suburbs in July and later rolled out in parts of Melbourne. “Speed is becoming the new point of competition for online food and grocery competitors,” retail expert Garry Mortimer told 9News at the time.