Tesco to pilot drone deliveries in innovation drive

The supermarket giant has joined forces with drone delivery start-up Manna to trial the fulfilment method from a store in Ireland, according to The Telegraph. 

The move comes as Tesco launches a fresh search for tech start-up partners as part of Dave Lewis’ transformation of the business. 

The grocer set up a new innovation team a year ago, which is led by Claire Lorains, the former boss of Tesco Mobile. 

It has already been working with tech firms in London, Israel and San Francisco as part of its Red Door initiative, which encourages third-party companies to suggest ways Tesco can modernise its processes. 

The retailer is placing particular focus on robotics and automation, producing greener packaging and ways it can better leverage the data gathered from its Clubcard loyalty scheme.

Tesco is placing increasing importance on such plans amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has sparked a surge in online grocery shopping.

Britain’s biggest grocer has more than doubled its online capacity since the outbreak of the virus in the UK back in March. It can now make more than 1.5 million home deliveries every week.

Tesco has created 16,000 permanent jobs to cope with the spike in ecommerce. 

But Lorains said that, while Tesco was “moving quickly”, plans to start fulfilling home deliveries by drone were still in their early stages. 

She said: “In the short time we’ve been together our team has already built networks in key locations and seen over 200 innovations.     

“There’s lots more to come and we welcome approaches from anyone with an idea to share.”