The Co-op is to expand its robot delivery services in Leeds, following a successful pilot.
Last year, 20,000 residents in the city were given access to Starship Technologies’ delivery service, now a further 12,000 households will be included.
Customers place orders through a mobile food delivery app and choose their groceries, which are then delivered by autonomous robots from local Co-op stores, less than an hour later.
They use the app to “meet” and unlock the robot to get their goods.
“Co-op stores are well placed in the heart of local communities to provide quick, easy and convenient grocery home deliveries for time-pressed shoppers – whether that is a full shop or, for last-minute top-ups and forgotten items,” explained Chris Conway, eCommerce Director, Co-op.”
“We are committed to exploring new and innovative ways to increase access to our products and services, and delighted to be able to roll-out robot deliveries to provide further online flexibility and choice for consumers across Leeds.”
The Co-op said that the robots are powered by renewable electricity, with an average delivery for a robot consuming the same amount as energy as boiling water for a cup of tea.
“The feedback we have received since first launching in Leeds last year has been overwhelmingly positive and we are pleased to be able to extend the benefits the robots have provided to an additional 12,000 homes from today,” added Andrew Curtis, Director of European Operations at Starship Technologies.
“More and more people are conscious of trying to reduce their carbon footprint and our robots help with this by eliminating the need for short car journeys to pick up groceries.”
The robots are also in use in Wakefield, Trafford (Greater Manchester), Milton Keynes, Northampton, Bedford and Cambridge.
