Sponsored By

Jewel-Osco tests self-serve grocery pickup kiosk

Albertsons Cos. also plans to deploy second unit at Safeway store

Russell Redman

January 7, 2021

2 Min Read
Jewel-Osco grocery pickup kiosk-Cleveron.JPG
Albertsons said it’s the first U.S. grocer to test the contactless PickUp Kiosk, developed by Estonia-based Cleveron.Albertsons Cos.

Expanding its click-and-collect options, Albertsons Cos. is piloting an automated, temperature-controlled pickup kiosk outside a Jewel-Osco supermarket in Chicago. 

Albertsons said Thursday that it’s the first U.S. grocer to test the contactless PickUp Kiosk, developed by Estonia-based Cleveron. The Jewel-Osco unit is now fulfilling orders, and Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons soon plans to install a second kiosk at a San Francisco Bay Area Safeway.

“We are supercharging our digital and omnichannel offerings to serve customers however they want, whenever they want,” Chris Rupp, executive vice president and chief customer and digital officer at Albertsons Cos., said in a statement. “This innovative and contactless PickUp kiosk makes it even easier for customers to shop with us in a way that is convenient for them.”

Jewel-Osco grocery pickup kiosk-Cleveron-evening.jpg

To retrieve their orders at the PickUp Kiosk, customers scan a code on their smartphone, and their groceries are robotically delivered to a clear door at the front of the unit.

To use the kiosk, Jewel-Osco online grocery customers choose the “Kiosk PickUp” option at checkout and selected a two-hour time slot to pick up their order. Upon arriving at the kiosk, they scan a code on their smartphone, and their groceries are robotically delivered to a clear door at the front of the unit for retrieval. The station features two temperature zones — regular and a deep freeze — and customer orders, made via the retailer’s e-grocery website or mobile app, can be stored in two different zones and still be delivered in the same console for pickup.

Related:Albertsons to shift to third-party online grocery delivery in some markets

Cleveron, which specializes in robotics-based parcel terminals and last-mile pickup solutions, worked with Niantic, Conn.-based integrator Telaid to install the kiosk at the Jewel-Osco store. Other food/drug/mass retailers using Cleveron’s technology include Walmart, Asda and Canadian Tire. 

“Cleveron’s pickup solutions are created to save time and offer convenience for everyone. The customers can drive up to the PickUp Kiosk, scan the code, grab their groceries and go. It is as quick and easy as that,” according to Arno Kütt, CEO of Cleveron. “We are honored that Albertsons Cos. has selected our technology in their drive to offer the best experience for their customers.”

The Cleveron kiosk marks the second self-service grocery pickup solution being tested by Albertsons in recent months. In October, the grocer unveiled a pilot of modular, temperature-controlled pickup lockers from Bell and Howell at selected Jewel-Osco and Safeway stores. Branded as PickUp, the lockers can be placed indoors or outdoors. 

Pickup is a linchpin of Albertsons’ online grocery expansion. The retailer now has around 1,400 curbside pickup sites overall across its base of nearly 2,300 stores in 34 states and the District of Columbia, and it aims to have at least 1,800 click-and-collection locations by the end of fiscal 2021. Digital sales, including home delivery, jumped 243% in Albertsons fiscal 2020 second quarter ended in September, following a 276% gain in the first quarter.

Related:Albertsons Cos. to test online grocery pickup lockers

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

Stay up-to-date on the latest food retail news and trends
Subscribe to free eNewsletters from Supermarket News

You May Also Like