Coronavirus: Tesco adds 100,000 online delivery and collect slots
Tesco has boosted the number of online delivery and click and collect slots by more than 100,000 as the supermarket scrambles to meet an “unprecedented” surge in demand during the coronavirus crisis.
The grocer today said it has increased capacity from 660,000 slots two weeks ago to 780,000 this week. And it plans to add a further 100,000 slots in the coming weeks.
Tesco has hired an additional 200 vans, 2,500 drivers and 5,000 stock pickers following a recruitment drive to cope with the spike in demand.
Data today revealed shoppers spent £1.9bn on stockpiling supermarket goods before the coronavirus lockdown.
Tesco to prioritise vulnerable for online delivery
Despite the increase in capacity, Tesco continued to urge customers to shop in store if they are able to.
The supermarket wants to save the delivery slots for elderly and vulnerable customers.
Tesco said it will prioritise orders from a list of 400,000 particularly vulnerable people specified by the government.
Some stores with an online delivery operation will open later than usual, starting from 8am.
Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis said: “Covid-19 has led to unprecedented levels of demand for grocery shopping services.
“We’re doing everything we can to increase the number of slots available and to support vulnerable people.
“Through a series of measures including more drivers, pickers and vans, we’ll expand the number of slots available each week; but this still isn’t enough to meet the demand.”
“It is vital that customers who can come into stores and shop for themselves do so,” he added. That would allow Tesco to offer more slots to vulnerable shoppers.
“We will support a significant proportion of the people identified by the government as particularly vulnerable and without a support network,” he said.
“But we are also focused on helping as many other people as possible who may not be able to come into stores.”