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Home / Venture  / Countdown and Auckland Transport team up for grocery collection points

Countdown and Auckland Transport team up for grocery collection points

Starting this week, Countdown shoppers can order groceries online and collect them from five key transport points across Auckland. The strategy dubbed ‘click, commute and collect’ is being trialled for the next six months in several train, bus and ferry terminals.

The whereabouts of the pick-up points are scattered across Auckland, from Albany Bus Station, to New Lynn Transport Centre, to Orakei Train Station, to Matiatia Ferry Terminal on Waiheke Island, to the CBD’s downtown car park.

If the trial proves successful, Countdown will consider rolling the service out in other locations. The five collection points service more than 95,000 people each day. 

Countdown head of online Sally Copland says as the population expands, the retailer expects to see an evolution in the way people shop in Auckland.

“Click and collect lockers and pick up points at transport centres will play a part in making life easy for Aucklanders as the city continues to grow as a cosmopolitan hub, and more and more people embrace public transport,” she says.

“We are already seeing the traditional once-a-week shop being replaced by smaller, more frequent shops. This also means that supermarket shopping won’t take up as much kitchen storage as customers look to buy more fresh produce regularly, and will be light enough to carry home as part of the commute home on public transport. The click and collect offering at transport facilities aims to make life easy for those commuting to the outer suburbs by saving them a trip to the supermarket on the way home.”

She said online grocery shopping was first introduced by Countdown 20 years ago, and currently there are more than 23,000 online orders made each week.

Auckland Transport chief AT metro officer Mark Lambert said it’s hoped the trial will provide customers with greater levels of convenience and flexibility when it comes to getting around Auckland.

“We’re thrilled to be able to kick off this new initiative with Countdown, who have decades of experience in online shopping and look forward to expanding this customer amenity throughout our network.”

This story orignally appeared on The Register.

Elly is Idealog's editor and resident dog enthusiast. She enjoys travelling, tea, good books, and writing about exciting ideas and cool entrepreneurs.

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