Smartmile has started delivering online grocery orders through automated parcel machines in cooperation with the Finnish retail chain, K-Group.
Customers can now pick up parcels and groceries from a Smartmile parcel machine by using K-Group’s K-Ruoka application. The new service is available in K-Supermarket Nekala, Tampere, and K-Supermarket Torikulma, Iisalmi, in Finland. Smartmile is one of the first companies in Finland offering such service and plans to expand the network of parcel machines offering grocery delivery in the near future.
The groceries are kept in thermo boxes inside the parcel machines, which enables the food to stay fresh. The robot inside the machine then brings the thermo box to the customer.
“K-Group aims to develop innovative future solutions for service offerings in K-stores and Smartmile’s automated parcel machines are a great example of these new services. Our preliminary experiences of parcel machines that enable food delivery are very positive. The customer benefits from picking up all of their online purchases and pre-ordered groceries simultaneously from the same machine. The customer can also choose a pickup time that is suitable for them according to the store’s opening hours,” said Kesko’s service director Petri Toivonen.
“We constantly develop our services to respond to our customers’ needs to make everyday life easier. Our customers’ wish has been to pick up their groceries and online purchases simultaneously. Therefore, we are really excited to start delivering groceries with K-Group,” added Smartmile’s CEO and co-founder Aku Happo.