Tesco is bolstering its online shopping service by opening up a new hub – dubbed ‘dark stores’ because they only service Internet orders – which sees the retailer create 700 new jobs.
Online sales have been a key driver of Tesco’s recent recovery; during the Christmas period the company recorded its biggest ever week for Internet sales, with Tesco Direct sales up by more than 16%.
The high-tech facility, which will increase the pressure on the likes of Ocado and Sainsbury’s, is to open in Crawley and means the grocery giant now has five dotcom-only stores.
The Crawley facility follows the launch of a similar outlet on the other side of London, at Enfield, Middlesex.
While the vast majority of its online shopping is fulfilled locally on the shop floor, Tesco plans to open more dark stores to service the growing demand for food home shopping in densely populated areas, such as around London.
Barney Burgess, chief operating officer for grocery home shopping, said: “Dotcom stores are an increasingly important part of our service for customers.
“More and more customers are using their computers and smartphones to shop. This state of the art facility will increase our capacity in the area, enabling us to offer an excellent and convenient service to our customers.”
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