Aldi to start selling food online as it tests click and collect deliveries
ALDI shoppers can now order food online and pick it up directly from store carparks under a new trial.
The discounter began testing a click and collect service for the first time at a Loughborough store earlier this month.
But it now plans to extend the trial to another 15 stores in the coming weeks, and if successful the initiative could be rolled out further.
The budget supermarket is ramping up the test in the hope of cashing in on the online shopping boom brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
Until now, only Aldi's non-food and booze range was available for home delivery for a £3.95 fee, or click and collect at a "CollectPlus" store or location for £2.95.
It also has a home delivery service in partnership with Deliveroo where it's trialling 30-minute deliveries across 300 Aldi products in Cambridge, the East Midlands, London, and Greater Manchester.
How much supermarkets charge for click and collect delivery
HERE'S how much the major supermarkets charge for click and collect grocery deliveries:
- Asda: Click and collect is free for next day or later deliveries. But you must spend at least £25, if not there's a £4 charge.
- Morrisons: Click and collect is free all day Monday to Thursday, from 12pm to 4pm on Fridays and Sundays, and from 2pm to 4pm on Saturdays. Outside these hours it costs £1 but only 14 stores currently offer this service.
- Sainsbury's: Click and collect is free for next day or later deliveries. But you must spend at least £40, if not there's a £4 charge.
- Tesco: Click and collect costs £1.50 if you spend at least £25, if not you'll be charged an extra £4 on top.
Delivery for this service costs £4.99 per order and you'll need to place an order of at least £15.
But you order via Deliveroo and not on the Aldi website.
Under the new scheme, shoppers can order Aldi's full in-store range online where you'll be offered time slots to arrive at dedicated click and collect points in store car parks to pick up your shopping.
This option will be made available to customers who live near a click and collect store when they log in to their Aldi account online - although Aldi is yet to reveal which stores it is planning on rolling the trial out to.
The expansion is part of a £1.3billion investment package to mark 30 years of the German stores in the UK, that will also help create 4,000 new jobs next year.
Orders are picked and packed by Aldi staff ready for customer collection.
The new service is set so cost between £3.99 and £4.99 depending on the day and time selected with a £25 minimum spend.
Most supermarkets charge more for deliveries or collections at peak times, such as evenings or weekends.
They also typically set minimum order thresholds, under which you either can't get food delivered or it costs more - see the box above for more on this.
How to cut the cost of your grocery shop
SAVING on your shop can make a big difference to your wallet. Here are some tips from comparison site Money.co.uk about how you can cut the cost of your shopping bills:
- Write yourself a list – Only buy items that you need. If it isn’t on your list, don’t put it in the trolley
- Create a budget – Work out a weekly budget for your food shopping
- Never shop hungry – you are far more likely to buy more food if your tummy is rumbling
- Don’t buy pre-chopped veggies or fruit – The extra they’ll charge for chopping can be eye watering
- Use social media – follow your favourite retailers to find out about the latest deals
- Be disloyal – You may want to go to different stores to find the best bargains
- Check the small print – It’s always worth checking the price per kg/lb/litre when comparing offers so you’re making a like for like decision as a bigger box won’t necessarily mean you get more
- Use your loyalty cards – Don’t be afraid to sign up to them all. They all work slightly differently – work out what bonus suits you better and remember to trade in your points for additional rewards
Customers pay for their shopping online so all they need to do is pick it up from the store. But it is unclear if shoppers will pay for plastic bags on top.
Earlier this year, Aldi also sold food parcels online to help vulnerable and self-isolating customers during the coronavirus lockdown.
Parcels cost £24.99 initially, although this was later slashed to £20. They contained essential products including tinned soup, rice and pasta, which were delivered by courier across the UK.
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Aldi has 894 UK stores and more than 36,000 employees. Use its to find your nearest.
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Giles Hurley, chief executive officer, Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “We know that more and more people want to access the high-quality, affordable food they know they can get at Aldi.
“This is yet another way we are innovating to make sure we best serve our existing customers and make Aldi’s great products and unbeatable prices available to even more people.”