New COVID-Safe Contactless Grocery Pickup 'POD' At ShopRite

NEW ROCHELLE, NY —The company that brought us 'Mary' the automated porter and 'Smiley' the candy-tempting robot is again giving us a glimpse of the future, this time with a high-tech pod to allow us to shop for groceries without ever coming in contact with another person.

ShopRite unveiled the "QuickCollect GO! POD" Smart Grocery Pickup at the ShopRite in New Rochelle on Tuesday.

ShopRite is the first grocer on the East Coast to unveil the new technology that allows shoppers to pick up their online grocery orders from a temperature-controlled outdoor pickup pod in the parking lot in a contactless self-service environment.

The smart grocery retrieval system can hold ambient, refrigerated and frozen foods, according to the company.

"The QuickCollect GO! POD will make it even easier for our shoppers at the New Rochelle store to pick up their online orders," ShopRite President Steve Savas said. "It’s self-checkout and pickup for online orders that’s done right outside the store. We are excited to be the first grocer on the East Coast with this technology."

So far, the free-standing pod available is only at the ShopRite of New Rochelle for customers retrieving their online pickup orders. The store is located at 8 Palmer Ave.

The pod uses robotic automation to securely deliver and allow retrieval of online orders anytime. The first totes start dispensing to the guest in under one minute, reducing the wait time for customers picking up their online orders, Savas said.

The pods, developed by Bell and Howell, use next-generation automation and intelligent software to ready orders placed at shoprite.com for pickup, according to the developers. The pod is designed to keep orders safe and secure until the customer picks them up with a unique pickup code. When items are ready, customers receive a text containing a QR code to scan on the console screen, which then brings the order to the customer pickup portal, allowing them to access their pre-ordered groceries.

"Retailers like ShopRite recognize that consumer convenience and fulfillment efficiency are critical to the next level of e-commerce," Bell and Howell CEO Larry Blue said. "Our data shows that consumers enjoy the convenience of this new individual automated curbside pickup with our QuickCollect GO! POD."