Grocery shoppers in Cambridge will soon be able to collect their food and drink while at the wheel of their car thanks to one of the country’s first ‘drive-through’ supermarkets.
Tesco is to launch the ‘click and collect’ service at store in the Fulbourn area of Cambridge.
The service, which has been trialled at Tesco stores in Baldock and Romford over the past year, allows customers to collect their web-ordered groceries from a storage “pod” in the car park at a prearranged timeslot. Goods are loaded into the boot by store staff, ensuring customers don’t ever have to leave their vehicles.
Instead of delivery fees, which start from £3, Tesco is expected to charge a flat £2 picking and packing fee for the drive-through service.
Laura Wade-Gery, chief executive of Tesco Direct, said the new scheme is aimed at customers who don’t have time to sift through the aisles, such as “busy mums who have the school run and children’s activities to manage”.
She added: “It also offers a solution to parents who want to avoid the challenge of shopping in a busy store with children in tow but can’t afford the time to stay in for the shop to arrive to their door.”
“We also expect it to help young professionals who want the convenience of a pre-picked and packed shop but who cannot commit to waiting at home for delivery. They can collect their shop on their way home from work or at any other time that suits them during our extensive collection hours.”
