Sainsbury's crates

Sainsbury’s has become the first UK retailer to allow shoppers to click and collect their groceries in under an hour.

The trial, which began on 11 August, enables customers to order their shopping via a smartphone app and pick it up from a store just 30 minutes later. It is taking place at Sainsbury’s store in Pimlico, London where the supermarket’s one-hour delivery service Chop Chop is already available.

The free service will allow customers to choose up to 25 items for collection in 20 minutes, seven days a week. In particular, it is aimed at busy workers who want to save time when they buy their dinner on the way home from work.

Orders will be packed and ready for the customer to retrieve by showing their order number at the store’s Chop Chop desk. This number will be available via the app or can be sent in an email if the customer prefers.

Clodagh Moriarty, director of online at Sainsbury’s, commented: “We want to offer a customer experience that is differentiated in terms of price but also in terms of service, with complete customer autonomy and excellent flexibility.

“The way customers are shopping is changing as they look for faster and more convenient options and we want to continue leading the way in giving them the services they need to shop wherever and whenever they want.

“We were the first UK supermarket to introduce one-hour delivery last year and we’re now delighted to be the first to trial a 30-minute click and collect service. It’s an exciting time for the business and we hope to see a positive response from our shoppers.”