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Metro goes same-day with online grocery delivery

Canadian food retailer expands service in Quebec, looks to Ontario next

Russell Redman

June 14, 2018

3 Min Read
Metro_online_grocery_delivery_truck (2).jpg
Metro delivery trucks are equipped with Tri-Zones storage technology.Metro

Metro Inc. has begun offering same-day delivery for its online grocery service in Quebec.

The Canadian supermarket operator said orders placed before 1 p.m. can now be picked up in-store as soon as 4 p.m. or be delivered as early as 6 p.m. Delivery carries a $10 fee, while the click-and-collect service costs $4.

For freshness, Metro uses Tri-Zones technology for online grocery orders. Items purchased online are gathered in-store by personal shoppers and brought to a dedicated Tri-Zones station for temperate, refrigerated and frozen storage. The orders remain in the Tri-Zones area until they’re picked up by customers or collected for home delivery and brought to trucks, which also are equipped with Tri-Zones storage.

Metro_Tri-Zone_area_online_grocery_1.jpgDedicated Tri-Zone stations for temperate, refrigerated and frozen storage are used at Metro for online pickup, and Metro employs dedicated teams in stores to pick and assemble all orders.

Metro_online_grocery_personal_shopper_0.jpgBesides launching same-day delivery, Montreal-based Metro also has extended the hours for online grocery service to 10 p.m. on weeknights (from 8 p.m. previously) and to 8 p.m. on weekends (from 6 p.m. previously).

“At a time when consumers are looking for easy and quick solutions to eat healthy without sacrificing product quality, there has been an increasing demand for same-day delivery from our online grocery customers” Gino Plevano, vice president of digital strategy and online shopping at Metro, said in a statement. “We’ve noticed that many online orders are made during lunch hour. Being able to receive their purchases that same evening will be a great benefit for those customers, and for a great deal of families.”

Metro launched its online grocery service, including in-store pickup and home delivery, in October 2016 at two Metro Plus stores in Montreal and one in Laval. The service was expanded to the greater Quebec City area in September 2017, to the greater Montreal area in October 2017 — which gave 1.7 million households and nearly 4 million consumers access to the program — and then to Quebec’s Outaouais region in November 2017.

Currently, Metro’s online grocery program serves 60% of Quebec’s population through seven stores, and the retailer said it’s working on expanding the service to Ontario. Metro employs dedicated teams in stores to pick and assemble all orders. The company said it owns the delivery vans, but delivery is performed by an external partner.

“We’re pleased with the results so far,” commented Metro spokeswoman Geneviève Grégoire. “The demand is rising, and we continue to focus on delivering a consistent customer experience.”

Overall, Metro operates more than 600 food stores under the Metro, Metro Plus, Super C and Food Basics banners plus over 250 drug stores under the Brunet, The Pharmacy and Drug Basics banners. The company also is the parent of retail pharmacy operator Jean Coutu Group, which was acquired last month.

Also as part of its digital strategy, Metro last August acquired a majority stake in MissFresh Inc., a Montreal-based online provider delivering ready-to-cook meals.

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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