Pick n Pay is on a mission to make its online grocery shopping service, asap!, more efficient. And it’s doing so with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). The retailer has partnered with OrderGrid and, following a multi-store trial that claims to have reduced average order-picking times by 30%, has rolled it out to 720 stores nationwide.
More AI. Hooray?
In theory, the change would lead to customers receiving their orders faster, with fewer missing items. Asap! already claims to have your order delivered within 60 minutes — matching that of its largest rival, Sixty60. If Pick n Pay can live up to its promise, it might sway customers loyal to Checkers and Woolworths.
“Having strengthened our core digital platform, our focus shifted earlier this year to the technology that supports in-store fulfilment. Using OrderGrid’s tools will help our teams pick online orders more efficiently, particularly larger baskets, improving picking times and strengthening our capacity to support the continued growth of our online business,” said Pick n Pay’s Enrico Ferigolli.
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With OrderGrid onboard and working alongside Pick n Pay’s existing technology, it can help staff predict customer demand more easily and identify any products missing from the shelves.
While the retailer claims the partnership reduced order-picking times by 30% during the pilot, it won’t necessarily lead to 30% shorter delivery times. Still, any improvement in general order times is a win for both the customer and the retailer. Pick n Pay hasn’t yet confirmed which 720 stores around the country will get the upgrade, nor when it hopes to expand the rollout.
