Coop Estonia, Selver and Prisma hve become some of the first grocers in the world to deploy the robotic grocery pickup solution Cleveron 501, to hand over online orders without human-to-human contact.
The standalone units, developed by Estonian click and collect automation software and hardware specialist Cleveron, are installed in parking lots in Tallinn, acting as quick and convenient drive-throughs.
Customers place the grocery order online, choose a suitable pickup time, receive an order code, and the grocery robot presents their order after the client enters the pin on the user console.
The deployment of grocery robots comes as online shopping has seen growth due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with research showing that shopping habits will most likely not return to where it was before the outbreak.
“We’ve always felt that e-commerce and online grocery shopping is the future, and that is why we created our grocery robot,” said Cleveron chief executive Arno Kütt. “The crisis brought the future to us sooner. We had a product which was just what the grocers needed and so we approached the Estonian grocery chains with an offer.”
Kütt said that as the world slowly starts to re-open and recover, it looks like the situation is also improving for retailers.
“We’ve seen a spike in interest for our automated click and collect delivery products, especially for the grocery robot,' he continued. 'I have no doubt that soon we’ll see the grocery solution and our SME parcel locker everywhere. They are helping companies to serve their clients in this challenging situation businesses are facing.”
Cleveron noted that while it had clients all over the world, Estonian grocers stand out for their openness to speed and innovation.
“Usually, negotiations take months,' Kütt explained. 'With Coop, Selver and Prisma the robot was up and running within two weeks of the first call. Our supermarkets place great value on the customer experience and wanted to act fast to provide it.”
The first of the Estonian grocers to deploy Cleveron 501 was Coop Estonia, with development director Asko Pukk confirming that AI solutions were an integral part of today’s commerce.
“The stores are becoming smarter, and the grocery robot can change the grocery game significantly in the near future,' Pukk outlined. 'Just think about it – several thousand items available for you to pick up from a solution taking up only 25m2. And the goods are stored in perfect condition both in the winter and summer. It is an ideal solution for overpopulated areas where there is not enough space, but also in rural areas which otherwise would not have such a selection available.'
All grocery robots are located in Estonia’s capital Tallinn, near the supermarkets. Coop Estonia’s 501 is in Laagri, Prisma Peremarket is testing the solution in Lasnamäe and Selver in Peetri. The units are placed on a parking lot, easily accessible with a car.
Cleveron 501 is a robotic online grocery delivery solution where clients can pick up their orders by entering or scanning the order code.
With two temperature zones, it is suitable for storing both perishables and frozen goods, and the standalone unit can be deployed anywhere – from business districts to villages or even used to open a beachfront store.
In addition to Estonia, the Cleveron 501 is being tested in Denmark, the US and the UK.
Cleveron's parcel lockers and robots are used by clients all over the world, in North and South America, Europe, Middle East and New Zealand, with the Cleveron 401 – also known as the Walmart Pickup Tower – another of its products.
