Asda announces “game changing parcel innovation”
UK retailer Asda has launched a “game changing parcel innovation” which will allow customers to collect and return orders placed with third parties at any one of Asda’s 614 stores nationwide. As part of today’s (12 November) launch, Asda also revealed that online fashion retailer Missguided is the first partner to sign up to the new service. Asda added that “the partnership with Missguided is expected to be the first of many with new clients expected to be announced in the coming weeks and Asda opening its doors to all retailers”.
The service is branded ToYou and is powered by Asda’s parent company, Walmart.
In a statement issued today, Asda said that it is “looking to tap into the 1.5 billion parcels which are delivered across the UK every single year and the appetite from major online retailers to have a physical footprint at locations across the UK”.
Asda predicted that the service could provide the supermarket with up to 40m extra visits per year by 2019.
Ian Stansfield, Vice President Asda Logistics Services and Supply Chain said: “Demand for online shopping is ever increasing, with it grows the appetite from online retailers to have physical footprints their customers can access. Not only are we providing online retailers with a presence on the high street we’re also bridging a gap for customers who want to collect or return their online orders while carrying out their weekly shop.
“This is an industry first: complete, real time, individual parcel tracking – whether collect or return, every step of a parcels journey is tracked and visible to our clients and customers. This truly is game changing.”
Asda claimed that ToYou is “the UK’s first true end to end parcel solution owned by one company – meaning live tracking and data can be provided to clients and customers in real time”.
As well as working with third parties, the new service has also allowed Asda to improve its George.com offer. Since August, the retailer has rolled out to every store an enhanced ‘non-food’ Click and Collect solution for George.com.
