First ICA store in Sweden goes for a Click & Collect refrigerated locker

The online food shopping continues to grow almost explosively in Sweden and is the fastest growing category in e-commerce. As new customer groups arrive, the industry sees unique needs and expectations growing. Among all of them, flexibility and freedom to pick-up groceries whenever shopper prefers seems to be among the top criteria.

Several of the large retailers meet this with a thriving Click & Collect solution – a refrigerated locker that empowers shoppers with a quick and flexible pick-up of groceries. ICA Supermarket Järvsö, first of all Swedish ICA stores, got equipped with a Click & Collect solution last week, following the signed agreement with StrongPoint, the leading European retail and e-commerce technologies provider.

Pick-up stations enable modern and connected customers to shop online and pick up the groceries without having to enter the store or keep to the store’s opening hours and give them the convenience of online shopping without the costs and inconveniences related to home deliveries. Click & Collect food lockers are also unique as they can store both frozen, refrigerated and room-temperature goods.

“It feels extremely good to be able to expand our service further. With the lockers, we can, for example, extend the times when customers can pick-up their deliveries. Already on the first day ten customers have placed orders with a pick-up in the lockers option. It is more than we expected and the customers seem to be satisfied”, says ICA Järvsö store manager Markus Hedin.

“We are very pleased to have cooperation on Click & Collect solution with our first ICA retailer. We know that the refrigerated lockers have been a success factor for other chain stores strengthening their e-commerce business”, remarks Sven Calissendorff, Senior VP Managing Director at StrongPoint in Sweden.

A customer habits study by YouGov in Sweden clearly stated that the flexibility of time and spot where you can pick-up groceries is one of the most critical criteria when choosing an online grocery shopping. According to the survey, it is very often even more significant than quick delivery. As new demand shop where, when and how you want it arises, Click & Collect solution, among others, helps retailers to satisfy their shoppers.

StrongPoint has now carried out over a hundred Click & Collect refrigerated lockers so far. In addition to Sweden, pick-up stations have been delivered in Norway, Russia, Lithuania, Estonia and Italy.