Co-op expands Starship deliveries to Bedford

• 2 August 2022
• Transport / Logistics Services

UK grocery and convenience store chain the Co-op has announced it is rolling out its Starship delivery robot deliveries to Bedford and nearby Kempston.

This is part of a rapid expansion of its robot deliveries across East Anglia in recent months. Co-op now has operations in the towns of Milton Keynes, Northampton and Bedford as well as rural areas in Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.

Under the plans for Bedford, up to 20,000 households in the town will be able to order goods from the Co-op app and have them delivered to a spot outside their home addresses. The three stores in the town operating the Starship robots are Goldington, Queens Drive, and Kempston.

The semi-autonomous delivery robots drive at no more than 4mph and use onboard sensing technology to assess road conditions as they travel along pavements and cycle lanes. They are closely monitored and can be taken over remotely in the event of an issue during a journey.

Chris Conway, e-commerce director at Co-op, said, “We are delighted to be able to expand our partnership to areas of Bedford from today – as a convenience retailer, the ability to come into stores will always be important to customers, but we also know that shoppers want flexible and convenient options online, and so we are focused on providing what our customers want and need, however and wherever they choose to shop with us.”