Tesco will explore the possibility of launching a grocery delivery services using robots, after successfully running a trial delivery in London under its new Tesco Now service.
A food order was delivered to an address in central London in less than 60 minutes using the robot.
The retailer is now planning a wider rollout of the robot deliveries, in a tie up with the London-based start-up company Starship Technologies, which claims its technology has the power to “revolutionise local delivery.”
Tesco was so impressed with the trial it has posted a video of the robot in action, set to the Thunderbirds theme tune.
Starship Technologies was launched in 2014 by Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis, with the six-wheeled robots manufactured in Estonia.
It has the slogan “anything you want, anytime and anywhere.”
The robots can carry items within a 3-mile radius carrying groceries directly from stores or specialised hubs.
Customers can monitor the progress of the robots via smartphone as they travel to their destinations.
Starship claims it can make local delivery “faster, smarter and more cost-efficient.”
Tesco said it has been impressed with the trial and would start a wider pilot later this year in London.
Last month Tesco began testing the Tesco Now app for customers in zones one and two in London, offering 60-minute delivery on orders of up to 20 products.
Its main delivery partner has been independent courier service Quiqup, which already has deals with companies including Whole Foods, Burger King and Hungryhouse.
The app is currently only available by invite.
“We are always looking at new ways to improve the shopping experience for our customers. We carried out a one-off trial as part of our Tesco Now initiative in partnership with a technology company. We learnt a great deal from this trial and we’ll be reviewing feedback before deciding our next steps,” said a Tesco spokeswoman.
The Tesco trial comes almost a year after Sainsbury’s launched its one-hour Chop Chop app in Wandsworth last June.
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