Meijer moves forward with new omnichannel idea

Meijer is experimenting with a click and collect service at a store in its hometown of Grand Rapids, Mich., and indicating the offering will be rolled out to other markets later this year.

The service, branded as Meijer Curbside, puts the extensive offering of products found inside the company’s large stores at the fingertips of customers who place orders online and then drive through for pickup. The service is being tested in the Grand Rapids store at 1997 East Beltline Road, and the company is already talking about expansion to other locations in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky later this year.

“The way customers shop for food is changing, and Meijer Curbside is one more way we are striving to find solutions to everyday challenges and bring more convenience to our customers,” said Michael Ross, Meijer’s vice president of customer marketing and emerging technology. “Meijer Curbside allows us to help our customers save time by remotely shopping for items throughout our store and choosing their own personal pickup time.”

To execute the program, Meijer enlists specially trained employers to pick items and follow any special instructions or personal preferences in a customers’ order. After placing orders online at Meijer.com/Curbside, customers choose their preferred pickup time, between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. daily. For orders of one to 12 items, orders can be picked up in as little as one hour. For orders of 13 or more items, customers can schedule pickup in about three hours. Customers can also place an order up to three days in advance.

From an operational standpoint, after employees pick orders prior to the scheduled pickup time, grocery items are stored at the optimal temperature, using dedicated freezers, refrigerators and warmers to keep everything on shopping lists fresh and safe until customers arrive, according to the company. More than 23,000 of the most commonly shopped grocery items and preferred general merchandise products are currently available for Meijer Curbside orders in addition to prepared meals and sides, specialty cakes, and pre-order party trays.

When customers arrive for pickup at the designated drive-thru area, the Meijer Curbside team loads orders in their car and uses a mobile device to take payment by credit card. Meijer mPerks digital coupons are accepted for all orders.

The service is free during the pilot program, but eventually Meijer plans to charge $5 per order for the convenience of online ordering and curbside pickup.