Rapid grocer Getir is to trial customer click & collect from several of its dark stores.
“Sometimes customers are really close to a Getir store, and going next door to pick something up might take the same time as ordering something and having a courier deliver it to you,” Getir Europe region general manager Turancan Salur told The Grocer. “It’s something we’re interested in testing.”
Several dark stores operated by rapid rival Weezy – which Getir acquired in November last year – already offered customer collection. It is understood those locations will continue to offer the service after they are rebranded as Getir dark stores, as well as several others.
“It’s something we think will be an added benefit, used by some people,” Salur said.
Salur would not reveal how many dark stores would offer the service. “We’ll test it and see how it goes,” he said.
“Our main thing is delivery, so we’re not becoming a retailer and making click & collect our main line of business. But it’s something it makes sense to test and we’ve had some good results with it.”
Late last year, rapid grocer Jiffy commenced click & collect operations at two of its dark stores – in what it called a first for the sector – “where customers can collect their order rather than using the speedy delivery for added convenience”.
Gopuff – which launched in the UK in late 2021 and aims to be in 33 UK cities by the end of the year – has gone a step beyond the click & collect option, opening a handful of stores in the US that allow customers to order from a digital kiosk on site, and have their order immediately put together behind the scenes. The locations – in Florida, Texas and San Francisco – also function as dark stores for app-based orders.
After launching in the UK a year ago, Getir now has a network of 115 dark stores in around 20 cities and towns. Last month it revealed plans to create 6,000 new jobs by the end of this year.
The new roles will include riders and dark store pickers and operators, with Getir planning to significantly increase its coverage over the next 12 months.
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