Tesco will need to have its back office and supply chain logistics “in order” if it is to make a success of its drive-through supermarket concept, according to Donal McDaid, vice-president for supply chain at integrated business solutions company Aldata.
He said: “It is great to see UK supermarkets adopting similar projects as France with Tesco’s launch of the first UK drive-through supermarket – a concept, which will no doubt appeal to consumers who hate to shop in-store or wait in for deliveries.
“Although ground breaking in the UK, this is in fact a concept which French retailers Auchan and Leclerc have been successfully offering for a number of years, with over 3,000 products available to order and then pick-up. The Auchan ‘Drive’ concept has the consumer going straight to a dedicated depot rather than the store.
“Tesco and other retailers considering the drive-through model should bear this in mind – is it better to send customers to the stores, or directly to the depot? After all drive-through depots can lead to less complexity with in-store operations. Whilst both models are convenient for the customer,” he said, “both still necessitate that products are in the right place at the right time and of course that the right quantity of products are available not only to satisfy customers but also to avoid wastage and respect product expiry dates.
“So, although this is a step in the right direction, I hope Tesco has its ‘back-office’ and supply chain practices in order to ensure it can deliver the ultimate in choice and convenience. I for one will be watching Tesco’s pilot with interest to see if European retailers adopt Tesco’s concept or if Tesco adopts the Europeans’ concept,” he said.
