Tesco to open drive-through supermarket

The trial, at the existing Tesco Extra store in Baldock, will help shoppers who want their groceries picked and packed but who don’t have the time to wait at home for delivery.

The trial is run by the Tesco dotcom team. Customers order their shopping as usual on the Tesco.com website, choosing the Click and Collect option and booking a two-hour collection slot.

Laura Wade-Gery, chief executive of Tesco dotcom and Tesco Direct, said: “This will be especially popular with busy mums who have the school run and children’s activities to manage. It also offers a solution to parents who want to avoid the challenge of shopping in a busy store with children in tow but can’t afford the time to stay in for the shop to arrive to their door.”

She added: “We also expect it to help young professionals who want the convenience of a pre-picked and packed shop but who cannot commit to waiting at home for delivery. They can collect their shop on their way home from work or at any other time that suits them during our extensive collection hours.”

Customers drive to a reserved area in the car park, and show a member of staff their shopping reference details. Staff come to the customer’s car window, and the shopping is packed in the boot.

Any substitutions will be flagged up as with home delivery, and the same policies and price guarantees apply. A flat £2 picking and packing charge will apply instead of a sliding scale of home delivery charges, which start at £3.

If successful, the trial will be rolled out.

The trial comes as Tesco opens its latest dotcom store in Greenford in response to increasing customer demand for online deliveries in west London.

Health and beauty giant Boots is also trialling a drive-thru pharmacy.