Tesco launches smartphone-friendly virtual supermarket at Gatwick airport

Tesco launches first virtual supermarket in Gatwick airport
Check out while you check in at Gatwick with Tesco's virtual supermarket

Supermarket behemoth Tesco has launched a virtual supermarket at Gatwick airport where shoppers can scan popular items with their phone to arrange a post-trip delivery.

The company has set-up 10 screens in the North Terminal at London's second airport featuring some of the most popular items in its range. The scheme is the first of its kind in the UK.

When shoppers see an item they'd like to add to an online order they can scan it using the Tesco smartphone apps for Android and iPhone.

The idea is to arrange a delivery for when they return from a holiday, when there's no fresh food or essentials in the house. Pretty neat, huh?

Two-week trial

The screens will be piloted for the next two weeks and and were available for jet-setters to test out from Monday.

The plan comes comes following a similar scheme which has proved successful in the company's South Korean market. There, the virtual supermarkets were placed in bus and rail stations.

Tesco's Internet retailing director Ken Towle says: "We got a lot of interest in our Korean sites and it went viral, so we wanted to see if customers would use this, with a view to launching at more airports."

The company is looking to capitalise on the rapidly-increasing number of Britons with access to smartphones.

Currently, reports the Guardian, around one in 7 of its online orders comes through its smartphone portals.

Via: Guardian

Chris Smith

A technology journalist, writer and videographer of many magazines and websites including T3, Gadget Magazine and TechRadar.com. He specializes in applications for smartphones, tablets and handheld devices, with bylines also at The Guardian, WIRED, Trusted Reviews and Wareable. Chris is also the podcast host for The Liverpool Way. As well as tech and football, Chris is a pop-punk fan and enjoys the art of wrasslin'.