Dive Brief:
- Food Lion announced Monday that it has expanded its branded pickup service to 15 additional stores in the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee.
- The grocer now offers Food Lion To Go at 577 stores, according to a company spokesperson, which is around half of its more than 1,100 locations. By December, Food Lion aims to add pickup service to an additional 80 stores.
- Food Lion is following in the footsteps of other major retailers that have added pickup service to the majority of their locations.
Dive Insight:
Food Lion has been steadily adding curbside service to stores across its network since it began piloting the program in late 2017.
Food Lion To Go offers same-day availability and product prices that match those found in stores. Shoppers can clip digital coupons and apply them to their orders, link their MVP loyalty account and also track “Shop & Earn” rewards they’ve accumulated through the program. The service carries a $1.99 fee for orders over $35 and a $3.99 fee for ones that come in under that amount.
Like other retailers that have recently extended their click-and-collect operations, Food Lion highlights the fact that its own employees are picking, packing and ferrying orders out to shoppers’ cars. If a customer misses their scheduled pickup time, a Food Lion “personal shopper” will contact them to schedule another time, according to the company’s FAQ page.
The latest pickup service additions include two stores each in Georgia and North Carolina, five stores in Tennessee and six locations in South Carolina. Food Lion also offers delivery through Instacart at 761 stores, according to the grocer’s spokesperson.
Grocery pickup demand remains a popular service with shoppers thanks to its flexible scheduling options, convenience and lower fees compared to delivery. The service accounts for 39% of online grocery orders, according to the latest monthly e-grocery report from Brick Meets Click. Major companies like Walmart, Kroger and Albertsons have extended pickup to the vast majority of their stores over the past few years.
Research also shows that pickup is a popular service with young consumers. According to a survey conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 33% of consumers under 50 say they are very or extremely likely to continue using curbside pickup service after the pandemic ends.
