Leeds residents will be soon be able to get their groceries delivered by robots.
Co-op has announced that it is partnering with Starship Technologies so deliveries can be made entirely by the machines. At first, 20,000 residents living in Adel and Tinshill should be able to order using the robots from the Spen Lane and Otley Road stores.
All residents have to do is use the Starship food delivery app to order what they want and tell the robot where to go. This can be with you in under an hour, and when your robot mailman arrives, you can use the app to unlock it.
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Delivery fees start from 99p. The robots have previously had success in Milton Keynes, Bedford, Northampton, Cambourne, and most recently Cambridge.
The robots are powered by renewable electricity, and are thought to have saved the UK 1.1m miles of car journeys and reduced CO2 emissions by 445 tonnes. It means you can get your deliveries slightly more sustainably.
The robots travel at pedestrian speed, and are battery powered. They navigate their journey using sensors, artificial intelligence and machine learning to help them use pavements and get around obstacles. Four million deliveries have been completed safely since Starship robots were launched.
Chris Conway, eCommerce director, Co-op, said: “Co-op is committed to exploring new and innovative ways to increase access to its products and services. Our members and customers lead busy lives and so ease, speed and convenience is a cornerstone of our approach.
"Co-op stores are well placed to provide quick home deliveries in communities with products picked fresh in our local stores - whether that is a full grocery shop or for those last-minute top-ups, treats for evenings at home or forgotten items. We are delighted to be expanding into Yorkshire to provide flexible, quick and convenient options online for shoppers in our communities.”
Councillor Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council’s executive member for infrastructure and climate, said: “As a council we are absolutely committed to delivering alternative, sustainable methods of travel to help reach our target of becoming net-zero by 2030. We are trying to reduce the number of short journeys made by car, including those made by delivery vehicles.
"I’m really excited by the launch of this pilot, which will be trialled for three months in north-west Leeds. Since the pandemic, we have seen a huge increase in the number of home deliveries.
"This pilot will be transformative and will provide an alternative home delivery provision which will particularly benefit residents with mobility problems or those facing other challenges which make accessing local facilities difficult. I would encourage residents in Adel and Tinshill to feedback their thoughts on the delivery robots during the pilot by visiting the council’s survey at starshipleeds.commonplace.is.”
Alastair Westgarth, CEO at Starship Technologies, added: “We are delighted to bring the benefits of autonomous delivery to residents in Leeds. This is our first significant expansion to the north of England, and we are confident the robots will make a positive impact in terms of actively reducing traffic congestion and carbon emissions, while also providing ease and convenience for local communities.
"Our robots have been widely welcomed as part of the community in all the areas we operate, and we are confident they will be equally embraced in Leeds. We are looking forward to working closely with Leeds City Council and Co-op and hope to further expand our service to more parts of Leeds and the wider Yorkshire region in the near future.”
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