Jewel-Osco pilots automated grocery pickup kiosk

An Albertsons banner is the first American grocer to let customers pick up online grocery orders at a contactless kiosk.

Jewel-Osco, one of 20 banners operated by Albertsons Cos., is piloting an automated, temperature-controlled kiosk from pickup solutions provider Cleveron at a Chicago store. Customers who select the “Kiosk PickUp” option when placing an online grocery order will be offered two-hour time slots during which to pick up their groceries.

When customers arrive at the kiosk, they scan a code on their phone and their groceries are robotically delivered to the front of the unit for pickup. The unit features two temperature zones—regular and a deep freeze. A customer’s order can be stored in two different zones and still be delivered in the same console for pick up.

The kiosk in Chicago is currently fulfilling orders, and Albertsons plans to implement a second unit at a Bay Area Safeway store in the near future. Installed by Telaid, the kiosk joins a growing lineup of contactless fulfillment services offered by Jewel-Osco. In October 2020, Albertsons installed pickup lockers at several Jewel-Osco stores. The company already offers delivery and drive up & go options through its websites and apps, and has relationships with third-party operators, including Instacart, to provide delivery options in as fast as two hours.

“We are supercharging our digital and omnichannel offerings to serve customers however they want, whenever they want,” said Chris Rupp, executive VP and chief customer & digital officer at Albertsons Cos. “This innovative and contactless pickup kiosk makes it even easier for customers to shop with us in a way that is convenient for them.”