21-09-2021
In the UK, Co-op is extending its partnership with tech firm Starship Technologies, the addition of new robots taking the convenience retailer's total number to 500 across the country.
New towns and cities served
The first major UK supermarket to use robots for home delivery, Co-op will increase its fleet by over 300 by the end of the year - increasing its offer of on-demand convenience and cutting carbon emissions on last mile deliveries.
The robots are expected to be making deliveries in five new towns and cities, with Cambridgeshire the next location after Co-op and Starship first launched the emission-free autonomous delivery service in Milton Keynes in 2018, and Northampton in 2020. Shoppers can choose from over 3,000 grocery items, which are delivered in as little as 20 minutes through the Starship Food Delivery app.
Co-op said recent research has shown that close to 70% of Starship’s customers forgo driving to a store or receiving a delivery from a fuel powered vehicle in favour of robot delivery, complementing its (Co-op's) pledge to ensure all of its home deliveries are zero emission by 2025.
Source: CEP-Research