Waitrose using cooled lockers for online orders

Failed
cooperation leads to innovation

The lockers
are currently being tested at the company headquarters. Next year they will be
installed at locations of the company. If the lockers are successful, Waitrose
wants to start using them at locations where there aren’t any stores available yet. Those lockers
will then be stocked a few times a day.

The new
lockers are an expansion of the classic online orders, which have been present
since 2009 at a 150 locations and five drive-ins. Those drive-ins will also be
expanded in the next couple of months.

Waitrose is
continuing its efforts in pleasing the online consumer. This year the chain is
also opening a ‘reception desk’, like those you might see in a hotel, in hundreds of
locations. There customers can make orders online using a tablet, with or
without the aid of the staff. They can also get help at the reception desk for
packaging gifts bought in the shop.

The
innovations coincide with the troubles Waitrose is having with Ocado: the chain
had an exclusive deal with that company for the delivery of online orders until
2017, but Ocado has currently made a deal with rival Morrissons for the
delivery of their products, starting January 2014.