The newly renovated, 1,177m2 Takealot Midrand (N1 Bridge) Pickup Point uses a mix of technology and automation – including a spiral conveyor belt – to ensure shoppers are able to collect as quickly as possible. Customers can also drop off their returns at any Pickup Point instead of arranging for collection. The company expects to ultimately convert around 10% of its orders from the greater Johannesburg-area to collections for Takealot and Superbalist.
Kim Reid, CEO of Takealot, says the existing pickup facility at Takealot’s Cape Town warehouse, which has been in operation for the past 8 years, sees an average of 1,000 orders collected daily.
Reid adds that the Takealot Midrand (N1 Bridge) Pickup Point is well-positioned strategically. “Currently, about 150,000 to 160,000 cars travel along the highway per day. Our Takealot Pickup Point is easy to access for motorists travelling north or south on the N1. The entire site has been revamped to allow customers to stop for petrol and groceries while collecting their orders from us.”
He says Takealot’s initial expectations are around 1,200 orders collected a day. “The Midrand Pickup Point is designed to ultimately support more than 7,000 collections per day, catering for both Takealot and Superbalist customers. It’s an advanced customised warehouse management system that can cope with large volumes of collections quickly.”
Takealot customers can now select from a number of Pickup Points across the Western Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape. “We are expecting these to add value to our customers and our business. They will shorten delivery lead-times and add another dimension of customer convenience.”
