DELIVEROO HOP… The new generation Londonian dark store
While European municipalities are moving up a gear to regulate the activities of Glovo, Getir, Flink and CloudKitchens. Faced with this context, the delivery platform just inaugurated Deliveroo Hop, a space both warehouse and store, open on the street.
The concept
Last November, at BRAND TO BE ALIVE, the 9th edition of the Innovate Service Centric conference, Elisabeth Menant and I presented Homo Convenience. A consumer-buyer in perpetual search for solutions to simplify his daily life. The 2023 edition of the NRF’s New York Retail’s BIG Show confirmed its growing importance in trade. The fairways were full of smart shopping carts lined with cameras, computer vision solutions to transform a traditional point of sale into a stand-alone store. Partner startups such as Shopic and Trigo have been highlighted to streamline, or even eliminate, the waiting at the checkout.
But why move to the point of sale when it’s so easy to get rid of the hassle of shopping through the Internet?
17% of Belgians, Spanish, French and Portuguese surveyed in the 2022 wave of the Access Panel Echangeur declare using Food Drive. 19 % have their groceries delivered to their homes. A figure that reaches 32% for the inhabitants of the four capitals concerned! Clearly the demand is there.
However, after Airbnb, Uber and electric scooters, municipalities decided to tackle Quick Commerce to regulate this emerging market. Barcelona has just banned dark stores and dark kitchen from its streets. But how in the digital age can we distinguish between commercial activity and logistics? Deliveroo’s launch of a new-generation dark store in London, meeting the expectations of European capitals, adds even more confusion.
Here, the warehouse disappears to make room for a local business. The point of sale thus has a window open on the street and a space for ordering and withdrawal accessible to the consumer. While the drivers come and go to ensure deliveries in 10 minutes, the customer can indeed enter to collect, in Click & Collect, his purchases made from the application. In case of forgetting, he can also place an order on site, from one of the terminals installed at the entrance. The offer consists of 2,000 references sourced from the 2021 partnership with Morrisons.
For the latter, the objective is clear. Capture the financial windfall from home delivery. A strategic axis for all banners historically not present in city centres. There is no doubt that the battle of city trading will continue, even more fierce, under the self-serving eye of Homo-Convenience.
Why visit the store?
Order via the application
Do you have the app installed on your mobile? Do your shopping among the 2000 references offered in partnership with Morrisons. Once your purchases are complete, you just have to choose your delivery method: at home in 10 minutes or in the shop via the Click & Collect.
Order from a terminal
If you walk past the store, why not go in and shop at one of the three kiosks at the point of sale? Once you’ve paid for your purchases, check the Dark Store to see how your order is being prepared.
Go and see the backstage
Once you’ve placed your order, you can take a look behind the scenes at the Dark Store and watch employees come and go in different aisles to prepare your order in less than ten minutes, top time.
Follow the preparation
Home delivery, Click & Collect or on-site order. Next to the store front desk, a screen gives you the status of your order preparation
Pick up the groceries
It’s your turn! Your order is ready. In less than 10 minutes flat, you can pick up your shopping bag prepared by the Dark Store teams. Simple and efficient.
