Peapod steps up e-grocery service on Long Island

Ahold Delhaize USA’s Peapod online grocery unit is looking to expand its service on metropolitan New York’s Long Island.

Chicago-based Peapod said Friday that it has opened a 10,000-square-foot “wareroom” at the Stop & Shop supermarket in East Northport, N.Y. The facility stands to boost order delivery capabilities by 10% in the New York region and create 125 jobs, the company said.

Peapod now has five warerooms operating out of Long Island. The East Northport site joins facilities in Medford, South Setauket, Riverhead and Farmingdale.

"With this expansion, we can reach more homes and offer even more capacity to serve both new and existing customers,” Walt Lentz, interim president of Peapod, said in a statement. “Expanding our delivery and pickup service is just one more way that Peapod is making the lives of our customers easier."

Peapod noted that the new wareroom, which includes the company’s latest e-commerce technology, won’t affect store operations or offerings at the East Northport Stop & Shop, located at 3126 Jericho Turnpike. The facility handles both home delivery and click-and-collect orders.

"As more and more people in our area seek the flexibility and convenience of online grocery, it's especially valuable to offer a seamless experience for our Stop & Shop customers," stated Steve Kienzle, senior vice president of sales and operations for the south market at Stop & Shop, one of Ahold Delhaize USA’s five supermarket chains. "Whether shopping in-store, opting for pickup or getting home delivery, we can offer a consistently high-quality and high-value experience to fit all the ways today's busy consumers shop."

Related:Peapod ramps up meal kit offering

The Peapod wareroom is part of a remodel of the Stop & Shop in East Northport. On Monday, Nov. 5, Peapod and Stop & Shop executives and local representatives are slated to participate in a grand opening event at the store.

Overall, Peapod serves 24 metro markets in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. The company delivers to homes and businesses and has more than 200 pickup sites.

Last month, Ahold Delhaize USA announced a new look and modernized format for Stop & Shop, with remodels starting at 21 stores in the Hartford, Conn., area. The effort includes added convenience for Peapod online and mobile grocery orders, enabling customers to drive up beneath solar-powered canopies to pick up their items. The company said orders will soon be assembled by a mini robotic warehouse under a partnership with Takeoff Technologies.

Related:Stop & Shop unveils new look