- Morrisons becomes the first UK supermarket to introduce StrongPoint's Click & Collect grocery locker solution -
- New multi-temperature grocery lockers will expand collection slots and eliminate customer wait times -
- Skipton in North Yorkshire will act as pilot for new end-to-end ßautomated collection model -
Morrisons is bringing StrongPoint's Click & Collect locker technology to a UK supermarket for the first time, piloting a new end-to-end collection model designed to maximise speed and customer convenience.
The grocery locker technology has been deployed across Europe for more than a decade, bringing a proven, best-in-class approach to grocery collection and a host of benefits for Morrisons customers.
The new grocery lockers are being piloted at Morrisons in Skipton, North Yorkshire, a high-volume Click & Collect store with a full online offer. All Click & Collect orders at the store will now be fulfilled through the locker system, which also facilitates same day Click & Collect orders.
To support a seamless collection experience, Morrisons has also integrated VoCoVo communication technology into the locker hardware. When a customer presses the 'Help' button at the locker terminal, it triggers an instant two-way connection directly to store colleagues wearing VoCoVo headsets, ensuring real-time support whenever it is needed.
One of the key customer benefits will be increased collection availability. At Skipton, Click & Collect operating hours will increase by two hours per day, giving customers greater flexibility around when they can collect their shopping.
The new system will also remove the need for customers to park in a collection bay, notify colleagues of their arrival and wait for their order to be brought to their car. To support a seamless collection experience, the lockers allow orders to be pre-loaded before the customer arrives, they then enter a unique six-digit collection code on arrival to collect their items.
Large lockers can hold up to three bags of shopping, while smaller compartments which are chilled or frozen can hold one to two bags depending on capacity. This means customers can use the lockers for everything from a daily top-up to a full weekly shop. Additionally, orders will now be pre-packed into paper bags, replacing the current process of customers receiving loose shopping and packing their own order.
For larger cross-category orders, the StrongPoint system will allocate multiple locker doors to a single customer. The temperature-controlled units maintain chilled products at 3-5°C and frozen products at -18°C to -20°C, while ambient grocery units are maintained at 16°C to ensure freshness.
For orders containing age-restricted products, the system flags the requirement to store colleagues via their VoCoVo headsets. The specific locker compartment remains locked until a colleague verifies customer ID in line with Challenge 25 regulations.
Charlotte Exell, Group Online Director at Morrisons, 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. We're excited to bring a simpler, more seamless Click & Collect experience to our Skipton customers.”
Alex Eveleigh, SVP UK and Ireland at StrongPoint, said: “We are extremely proud to be bringing Morrisons customers a faster, easier way to collect their shopping. Picking up from a grocery locker is the fastest way to collect a Click & Collect order, and it makes the service easier for retailers to run while giving customers more flexibility over when they collect. It's a real win for both.”
The move marks another step in Morrisons investment in its online customer proposition whilst retaining the freshness and quality it is known for.