The Warehouse trials vending machine for parcels

The Warehouse, New Zealand.

The Warehouse is trialling a new type of click-and-collect option for customers, installing a five-metre-tall automated tower in its Sylvia Park store which will bring customers their packages.

The tower acts similar to a vending machine, with customers inputting a unique code into a control panel. Thewill then be dispersed from a storage compartment in the tower to the customer.

The Warehouse Group chief executive Pejman Okhovat said the retailer is excited about the technology.

“We’re always looking at how we can interact with our customers to make their lives easier – including new ways to browse for, pay and pick-up items,” Okhovat said.

“Nearly one in three online orders are now collected in store and we expect this to grow over the next few years. The tower offers people a fast and convenient way to pick up their parcels on the go, which doesn’t require queueing at the service desk.”

The tower, which has been launched as part of a partnership with technology firm Cleveron, can hold up to 300 parcels at a time, which are measured by size and arranged into height dependant storage trays.

Feedback during the period will inform whether the tower remains at Sylvia Park after the trial as completed, as well as whether the feature is expanded across The Warehouse’s other stores.

“This is one of several new initiatives we are trialling to enhance the experience for our customers with a more seamless way to shop,” Okhovat said.

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