Coles will be Australia’s first major supermarket to offer drone delivery for more than 250 of its most popular grocery items. Partnering with global on-demand drone delivery service, Wing, customers in Canberra will be the first to pilot the exciting new technology, with delivery in minutes.
The drone delivery pilot will offer a selected range of items including bread, fresh produce, snacks, convenience meals, health care items, kitchen essentials and even toilet paper. There is no minimum spend and no delivery fee.
Customers simply order via the Wing app and upon arrival, the drone hovers in the air and slowly lowers the package to the ground at the customer’s delivery location for a contactless delivery.
Coles Chief Executive eCommerce Ben Hassing said drone delivery was the next evolution in delivery technology and will support Coles’ ambition to be Australia’s most sustainable supermarket by reducing the number of trucks on the road.
“We are passionate about finding innovative ways to help our customers to shop with us and we aim to deliver anytime, anywhere, anyhow shopping,” Hassing said.
“By partnering with Wing, we’re able to offer our online customers another convenient option to purchase the Coles items they know and love and get them delivered straight to their door.”
The drone delivery pilot will offer a selected range of items from Coles with no minimum spend and no delivery fee
Simon Rossi, General Manager, Wing, Australia, said, “We’re delighted to be teaming up with Coles, one of Australia’s leading retailers, to expand their delivery options for customers by taking to the skies of Canberra.”
“Whether you’ve run out of milk and eggs for breakfast, forgotten to pick up a loaf of bread for school lunches, or are just after a fresh ‘grab and go’ snack, customers in our delivery service area in Canberra can now get those urgent items they need in a hurry, delivered by drone.
“In the last year, we’ve seen a significant increase in the use of our on-demand drone delivery service, with many customers finding the service especially useful as they stayed home, and relied on our contactless delivery service to deliver the items they needed. Wing made more than 100,000 deliveries in Australia in 2021, and strong demand for drone delivery has continued in 2022. Wing has already made more than 30,000 deliveries in Australia this year.”
Wing has already made more than 30,000 deliveries in Australia this year
The announcement is the latest in a series of initiatives through which Coles Online is driving growth and customer loyalty. Last month, Coles launched the 90-minute Click & Collect in Australia. Now available at more than 400 Coles supermarkets nationally, Click & Collect Rapid allows customers to place their grocery order online and collect just 90 minutes later.
Coles Online Head of Network Development and Customer Delivery James Geddes said Coles was committed to offering time-poor customers convenient solutions to topping up the pantry or picking up those last ingredients for dinner.
