Availability and service news

Publix has become the first US grocery retailer to partner with Instacart to use the company’s new nano-fulfillment solution, Carrot Warehouses. 15-minute delivery The on-demand delivery company, Instacart, repositioned itself earlier this year as a retail enablement company. This saw the launch of the Instacart platform , which includes what it describes as a "nano-fulfillment solutio...

Availability issues Operational labour and HGV driver shortages continue to disrupt food supply chains. Food and consumer goods businesses have been hit hard by recruitment and retention challenges. This is resulting in lower order fulfilment levels than normal, meaning there is an impact on availability of some food and groceries. The government has committed to a package of support i...

Lidl, part of Schwarz Group and one of the largest retailers in the world, has set up its own container shipping company as it aims to reduce delivery delays and avoid high freight rates. According to registration information at the European Trademark Office, Lidl's new shipping company is called Tailwind Shipping Lines. Ensuring availability and managing increased volume Wolf Tiedemann,...

Gopuff – a US-based rapid delivery platform – and UK retailer, Morrisons have launched a multi-year partnership to bring own-brand and branded products to Gopuff's platform. The partnership means customers across the UK can order thousands of Morrisons food and grocery items for delivery in as little as 15-20 minutes. A major tie-up having recently arrived in the UK The partnership follows ...

Lidl GB is set to create more than 1,200 new warehouse jobs by the end of 2025. The new roles will be based at Lidl’s new distribution centre (DC) in Luton, which will be the largest DC Lidl operates across its global operations when it opens in 2023. Construction of the 1.2 million sq. ft sites began last year. The site is due to serve store locations around London and the surrounding areas a...

Instacart, the leading on-demand fulfilment and delivery company in North America, has consolidated existing and new services under a new Instacart platform. We look at what this means for the business and its retail customers as it transforms to be a retail enablement organisation. Built a leadership position in on-demand delivery This is the first major move from Fidji Simo, who joined th...

On 9 March 2022 Carrefour Spain opened its first distribution site dedicated exclusively to dispatching online food orders. Key characteristics: Location: Getafe suburb of Madrid. Size and capacity: Surface area of 10,000 square metres. Order capacity: 4,000 orders can be shipped per day. SKUs: 17,000 items and includes a food preparation zone for fresh meat, seafood and bakery pro...

Ocado has struck a partnership with Auchan Retail to provide its online delivery solution in Poland. The first customer fulfilment centre in Warsaw will be operational in 2024, with more planned as part of the partnership.  The two businesses have also said they’ll explore opportunities to broaden the partnership in other geographies that Auchan has a presence in. Auchan to benefit from lat...

Kroger has announced that it will open new fulfilment sites in Austin and San Antonio, Texas and Birmingham, Alabama powered by the Kroger Fulfillment Network and Ocado Group. The move is a continuation of Kroger’s online ambitions, which saw it enter Florida without a physical store footprint in 2021. Three new sites announced The 70,000 Sq. ft Austin site will collaborate with a hub in Da...

Sobeys will open the fourth planned Customer Fulfillment Centre (CFC), as part of its strategic partnership with Ocado, in the Greater Vancouver Area. This is expected to become operational in 2025. Reaching 75% of Canadian households This site will be the final one to open in Canada as part of this partnership. Last year, the first CFC launched in Toronto, with the second site expected to ...