Supermarket giant ASDA has announced a brand new way of ordering home food deliveries - and it won't require shoppers to be at home to receive it.
The retailer is trialling a new system, where it will leave locked boxes full of food outside shoppers' homes.
It works by the delivery driver entering a code on the box so they can open it and put the goods inside.
They’ll then lock it up so the delivery order is safe until the customer gets home, reports the Mirror.
But shoppers are being advised not to leave chilled and frozen items for longer than four hours, so you’ll need to return home soon after your food has been dropped off.
The boxes, which come in two sizes and have the capacity for four or six totes of shopping, are being trialled in Yorkshire, the north east, Wales and the south.
Asda installed the boxes for free as part of a 12-week “small test and learn trial” for a small group of customers.
But if feedback is good, the supermarket could look to expand it later this year.
Simon Gregg, VP of online grocery at Asda told The Grocer : “As things begin to open up again, the boxes provide a convenient way for customers involved in the trial to take delivery of their regular shop while they are not at home.”
Asda delivery charges range between £1 and £6.50 and there is a minimum spend of £40.
A spokesperson for the supermarket told The Mirror there's no extra cost for this service as part of the trial.
However, a decision hasn't been made on potential pricing for a full rollout.
Asda's parent company Walmart has gone a step further with their delivery service in the US by introducing a scheme that sees drivers fill your fridge for you.
It works by customers purchasing a smart lock device specially from Walmart that generates a one-time unlocking code for drivers.
Staff then use this to enter customers’ homes and put their food away in their fridge.
Delivery drivers are required to wear a body-cam which livestreams their movements to the customer through the device.
