Swedish furniture giant Ikea is extending its collaboration with Tesco by introducing next-generation self-serve lockers at select supermarkets across the UK.

The trial, which aims to make collecting online orders more convenient and accessible for customers, has kicked off at the Tesco Peterborough Werrington Superstore.

The innovative automated pick-up lockers are set to revolutionise the way customers collect their Ikea purchases. With 35 differently sized lockers available, shoppers can retrieve a wide range of products, from small home accessories to larger furniture items such as bookcases, beds, and wardrobes.

Jakob Bertilsson, country customer fulfilment manager at Ikea UK, expressed enthusiasm about the initiative: "This trial marks a significant milestone in our ambition to become even closer to our customers. We're excited to bring these next-generation lockers to our customers in the Peterborough area and provide services that are affordable, accessible, and offer the best possible experience."

The service is available to customers within a 100km radius of the Werrington superstore. Orders placed before 6:30am will be ready for same-day collection, while those placed later will be available the following day. Customers can book collection slots up to five days in advance, subject to availability.

Simon Williams, Tesco's assets and estates director, commented on the partnership: "We're pleased to be building on our existing collaboration with Ikea to trial innovative ways of improving the shopping experience. We hope these convenient and forward-thinking new automated lockers are just as well received as our manned click-and-collect points."

The trial will soon expand to include lockers at Tesco stores in Dereham and Cambridge. This initiative builds upon the existing partnership between Ikea and Tesco, which has already seen over 100 mobile pick-up points launched at Tesco stores nationwide. The companies plan to open an additional 100 pick-up points, with half scheduled to launch this year.

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