Starship Technologies delivery robots hit Cambridgeshire for pilot
Food delivery robots are taking to the streets of Cambourne, UK, as part of a pilot organised between Cambridgeshire County Council and Starship Technologies, in partnership with the Co-op.
The tie-up will see 12,000 residents in 5,000 homes benefit from quick deliveries of products from their local Co-op.
The project, beginning today, is part of the council’s environmental agenda as it will help to reduce short car journeys and improve air quality, with an average delivery for a Starship robot said to consume as little energy as boiling a kettle to make just one cup of tea.
Starship, which was created by the co-founders of communications system Skype in 2014, currently operates a fully commercial service in six countries around the world, including across university campuses in America and in the UK in Milton Keynes and Northampton.
The Cambridgeshire pilot will see residents living in Lower and Upper Cambourne able to order deliveries via the Starship app, which are then selected from the Co-op store at 29 Mosquito Road in Upper Cambourne.
A map showing who will be eligible to book deliveries can be viewed on Google. If the project is successful, Starship has signalled its intention to expand further across the county.
Andrew Curtis, UK Operations Manager at Starship, says: “We are very pleased to be bringing the benefits of on-demand, contactless grocery delivery to residents in Cambourne.”
“In the last few years we have had extremely positive feedback from people using our service regularly in Milton Keynes and Northampton who have embraced the robots as part of their local communities.”
“We’re looking forward to working closely with the council in Cambridgeshire and hopefully expanding the scope of this initial project.”
Chris Conway, Co-op eCommerce Director, says: “We’re committed to exploring new and innovative ways to increase access to its products and services. Our members and customers lead busy lives and ease, speed and convenience is at the heart of our approach.”
“Co-op stores across the country are well placed to serve shoppers locally and a key part of our strategy is to further develop our ecommerce offer by using our store footprint to provide same-day, rapid, home deliveries.”
“As a convenience retailer, the ability to come into stores will always be important to customers, but we also know that shoppers want flexible options online, and so we are focused on providing what our customers want and need, however and wherever they choose to shop with us.”
