How Amazon and Morrisons Enabled Same Day Click and Collect for Groceries
When the COVID-19 crisis first hit, the way people accessed products – in particular, groceries – transformed almost overnight.
With vulnerable people forced to shield at home and shopping in person at a supermarket becoming increasingly frustrating due to one-in-one-out policies and long queues, online ordering rapidly increased in popularity.
However, with delivery slots filled to bursting and some people having to order their groceries two weeks in advance, many people who were able to do so opted for a hybrid of instore shopping and ecommerce – click and collect.
Amazon
Never one to miss a trick – especially when it comes to digital ordering – the UK arm of ecommerce titan Amazon realized it could play a role in the trend towards click and collect which has persisted long into the pandemic.
This is why the online behemoth announced in November 2021 that it had established a partnership with UK supermarket chain Morrisons to make same day click and collect ordering available to Prime members who lived within range of one of its stores.
Initially trialed in selected stores within the city of Manchester in the north-west of the country, the Morrisons on Amazon ecommerce store was packed with every day and luxury grocery products for customers to choose from. Once they have filled their basket and are ready to begin the checkout process they are invited to select click and collect as a delivery option and select a timeslot in just one hour.
All they need do at that point is arrive at their selected store at the agreed upon time and a Morrisons store associate will bring out their good, packed in special Amazon Prime paper bags and cardboard boxes – part of the company’s commitment to reducing plastic waste and prioritizing recyclable packaging.
"The Morrisons on Amazon store provides millions of Prime members with the Morrisons products that they know and love, from everyday essentials to favorites such as Morrisons The Best range and Morrisons Market Street selection – including bread freshly baked by Morrisons’ bakers and hand finished cream cakes from its cake shops," said the company in a press release. "The range includes handmade products from Morrisons’ butchers, fishmongers and cheesemakers, and a selection of fruit and vegetables by quantity, providing even more choice."
Click and Collect
The click-and-collect service is seamlessly integrated with the customer’s Amazon smartphone app.
Once checkout is completed, they are sent an email and a notification to their app inviting them to check in when arriving at the store. They can even activate an on my way option which warns Morrisons’ staff the customer will be arriving imminently and reduces their wait time once they’re there.
Customers can choose whether they want a store associate to bring the order out to them in specially designated click and collect parking bays or opt to go inside the store and collect the order in person. The service is free for orders over £40, with a £1.99 charge for orders below that amount and a minimum spend of £25.
"We are committed to investing in ways for customers to get their grocery shop as conveniently as possible and Click and Collect from Morrisons on Amazon is a great new option for customers who want to pick up their groceries quickly and easily," said Amazon Vice President and UK Country Manager, John Boumphrey at the launch of the service. "Starting today in Manchester, customers will be able to get their groceries in minutes without even leaving their car."
Morrisons has been innovating all the way through the COVID-19 pandemic, even going so far as to provide free food boxes and care packages to the embattled health workers in the UK’s National Health Service.
"Across the business the whole Morrisons team has shown commendable resilience facing into a variety of continuing challenges during the first half, including the ongoing pandemic, disruption at some of our partner suppliers, and the impact on our supply chain of HGV driver shortages," said Morrisons Chair, Andrew Higginson. "I’m confident the team will continue to rise to all challenges and keep up all the good work to improve the shopping trip for customers."
Final Thoughts
Options such as click and collect are going to continue to be incredibly valuable to retailers looking to deploy a hybrid model to better meet the needs of their customers. While the worst of the pandemic may [hopefully] be behind us, many customers are still looking for alternatives to instore shopping.
Digital ordering and click and collect are certain to be hot topics at Future Stores Seattle 2022, taking place in July at The Sheraton, Seattle.
Download the agenda today for more information and insights.