Tesco virtual shop

[Steve G Griggs]

On the BBC website today.

Tesco try out virtual grocery shopping at Gatwick Airport:
For the next two weeks, they're trialling what's being billed as the UK's first interactive virtual grocery store in the departure lounge at Gatwick Airport.

There are four interactive screens that you can slide by hand to reveal shelves with an assortment of 80 products.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19148154

It was only a matter of time befor one of the big chain supermarkets tried this, be interesting to see what the usage is like and how well it works.

[Mike Hughes]

It's all a bit odd and seems rather gimmicky to me.

So you have a massive interactive screen that shows the shelves of products and the barcodes that you then have to scan into your mobile if you want to buy them.

OK. So it's an interactive way of getting people to try out mobile ordering, but surely this isn't a sign of the future or anything. More just a way to get people trying out (and hopefully continuing) to use their mobile for ordering.

The association with airports is interesting. I guess they get a large number of people going through with time on their hands to try out this kind of thing.

On a side note. While I was down in Cornwall for two weeks holiday recently there were lots of people using Tesco online to get their groceries delivered when they arrived (including us). You could see the tesco van on the changeover days driving round and dropping of the groceries.

Mike

[Mike Hughes]

There is an interesting point in all this about generating action at the point of need. In this case I think it's mistimed as all I'm thinking about when leaving on holiday is having a good time when I get there. A better option would be to get the holiday reps to hand out tesco leaflets with a QR code 2-3 days before the return flight. That's the time that I'd be more receptive to thinking about what I'll need to do when I get back home.

posters with QR codes in particular places would make sense for many business:

- Insurance top-up near airport car hire desks
- Minicabs outside nightclubs
- cholesterol health drinks / baby stuff at GPs
- Sports performance drinks at Gyms
- racket restringing at tennis clubs (although can't be delivered online)
- etc.

Mind you, the people I think are missing a trick is the travel groups. Considering how much the try and sell the add ons I'd have thought there was a good opportunity for partnering more on the 'when you get back' side of things. Groceries, photo printing, 'after sun', etc.

Mike

[Steve G Griggs]

That's exactly what I think, when I'm at departures I won't be thinking about buying from Tesco for when I get home. The holiday companies are missing a few tricks agreed.
The best point I would have said would have been at the luggage carousel at arrivals surely, or like you say reps handing out leaflets prior to transfer to the airport on the return journey. As you rightly say it's mistimed.