British Supermarket Asda Tests Personal Shopper With Buymie Handling Delivery

Asda has debuted a new personal shopper trial at some stores, which will be a team-up with Buymie, the delivery platform, a report says.

During the trial, customers will be in direct contact with in-store shoppers as they’re selecting the products for purchase, with the deliveries made within an hour or so.

Shoppers will reportedly get full access to an online range of groceries and can be in touch with pickers as their shopping is being done.

Because of this, they’ll also have the option to submit preferences and talk about their requests, including various substitutes they’d accept if the original choice isn’t there.

There’s no minimum spend, though for orders under 30 pound sterling ($39.08) there’s a 3 pound sterling ($3.91) fee added on.

Announcing the news, Simon Gregg, Senior Vice President of eCommerce at Asda, said: “As we look to further expand the number of convenient delivery options we offer, we know that customers are increasingly looking for a more personalized service. The trial in Leeds and Bristol will give access to our full online range and a ‘personal shopper’ experience for bigger basket shops through Buymie’s interactive platform.

This is only being done in some stores. It will reportedly be available to customers within a three-mile radius of ten stores in Bristol and Leeds. If it works out, it will be rolled out more widely.

The report notes that those in Bristol will be able to access this service through the Buymie app, while those in Leeds will be able to download the “Asda Express powered by Buymie” app that was created for the trial.

PYMNTS wrote that Asda has been the first retailer to try out automated age verification software in its stores, with a new partnership with Yoti, a digital identification software company, and NCR, a tech leader.

See more: UK Grocer Asda Trials Automated Age Verification Software

Asda said on Monday that the trial will run until the end of May, in the Pudsey and Stevenage stores.