RobotDelivery North Northants_

Co-op has expanded its autonomous grocery delivery service to local residents across Wellingborough, Higham Ferrers and Rushden.

Partnering with technology provider Starship Technologies, and North Northamptonshire Council, the service will see up to 45,000 residents across 33,000 households in Wellingborough, Rushden and Higham Ferrers able to access on-demand grocery delivery from four Co-op stores located in Olympic Way and, Northern Way, Wellingborough; Grangeway, Rushden and High Street, Higham Ferrers.

Orders are made through the Starship food delivery app, which is available for download on iOS and Android, with groceries picked fresh in local Co-op stores and delivered quickly and conveniently in as little as one hour or less.

Co-op eCommerce director, Chris Conway, said: “Co-op is committed to exploring new and innovative ways to increase access to its products and services. Our members and customers lead busy lives and ease, speed and convenience is at the heart of our approach. We are delighted to be able to extend the service in the area, as a convenience retailer, the ability to come into stores will always be important to customers, but we also know that shoppers want flexible and convenient options online, and so we are focused on providing what our customers want and need, however and wherever they choose to shop with us.”

Andrew Curtis, UK operations manager at Starship Technologies, added: “We have had very positive feedback from local communities in Northampton since starting operations there in November 2020, and today is an exciting day for Starship as we offer the benefits of autonomous grocery delivery to 33,000 more households across Northamptonshire. Our robots offer an environmentally friendly and convenient way of helping people with their ‘top up’ shopping and we’re confident the service will be similarly well received in North Northants.”

To hear more from Chris Conway about Co-op’s delivery ambitions, book your ticket to The Convenience Conference at 30 Euston Square, London on Tuesday 13 September.