Iceland Food Chain To Launch Click & Collect Service

Frozen food chain Iceland plans to launch a click and collect online ordering option after relaunching its delivery business last year.

Iceland scrapped online delivery eight years ago after it failed to gain traction but it resurrected the service after a trial early last year.

It aims to offer customers the option of picking up orders in 540 of its 800 stores by April and, at the same time, will offer free home delivery from 85 per cent of its stores on orders over £35.

'We need to be there with click and collect as it is one of the fastest growing areas on the high street,' John Mackie, Iceland's ecommerce chief, told the Grocer.

Tesco, Asda and Waitrose are all well established in the click and collect arena and are variously testing the possibility of drop off points for collection at libraries, tube stations and refrigerated lockers.

Asda To Emulate Argos With Live Availability Indicators

Asda will pilot a scheme this year to allow shoppers to see in-store stock levels and reserve specific items.

The retailer will also test a service that will enable its systems to inform shoppers at the checkout whether their local store has an item in stock and offer the option of reserving and collecting the item in store.

Asda head of multichannel Jon Wragg told The Grocer magazine that it would work 'very much like the Argos model.'

He said it would benefit Asda because it could potentially cut down on  the need for so many deliveries if shoppers decided they would prefer to pick items up by hand.