Meijer is testing a new service to expand its omnichannel offerings.
The new pilot program called Meijer Curbside allows shoppers to pick out their items online and then pickup those items at a participating store where that shopper can grab-and-go without stepping out of the car. The pilot is currently underway in one Grand Rapids store where Meijer has set up a specially-trained team to execute the service to match consumers’ needs. The service is expected to rollout in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky in 2015.
“The way customers shop for food is changing, and Meijer Curbside is one more way we are striving to find solutions to everyday challenges and bring more convenience to our customers,” Michael Ross, vice president of customer marketing and emerging technology, said in a company news release. “Meijer Curbside allows us to help our customers save time by remotely shopping for items throughout our store and choosing their own personal pick-up time.”
The service allows consumers to shop online and select a pickup time between 7 a.m.-9 p.m., daily. For express orders under 12 items, they can be picked up in an hour, and larger orders can be picked up in roughly three hours. Meijer said that more than 23,000 items will be available through its curbside pickup program. Its new pilot program will also include prepared meals and sides, specialty cakes, and pre-made party trays.
On the retail side, Best Buy has been one company that has given special attention toward its order-online, curbside pickup program. Curbside has seen significant success in combining the mobile brick-and-mortar shopping, allowing consumers to make purchases online but pick up the items at the physical retailer. Since launching operations last year, Best Buy has grown to process thousands of orders a week. They launched the curbside pickup in February to help expand their online-to-offline shopping options.
The store is one of several diverging from the recent trend of faster shipping following an online purchase. While Amazon is experimenting with same-day delivery, Walmart, for example, is also exploring curbside pickup for shoppers making purchases online.
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