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BrightDrop Launches New Trace Grocery Self-Dispense Feature

GM electric commercial van and and logistics subsidiary BrightDrop has launched a new self-dispense feature for its BrightDrop Trace electric-motor propelled cargo pallet, the Trace Grocery, to streamline customer pickup of online grocery orders.

The BrightDrop Trace Grocery Self-Dispense builds on the Trace Grocery, a temperature-controlled e-cart able to keep food cool for up to four hours and able to move up to 350 pounds at 3 mph, which debuted a year ago in September 2022.

Front three quarters view of the BrightDrop Trace Grocery e-cart.

The Trace Grocery Self-Dispense uses the same e-cart design but adds the new self-dispense feature. This enables locking the cart so it can be parked at the curbside to await the customer, who then uses their smartphone to unlock its compartments and retrieve their groceries without needing a store employee’s help.

Employees first pack the cart, placing groceries into different compartments depending on the temperature that is needed to keep each fresh. The cart can then await the customer, potentially for hours, while keeping their groceries cool and safe while the employee is freed to carry out other tasks.

Each Trace Grocery e-cart contains nine different compartments, making it possible to “stage” several orders in a single cart, with customers only able to access the compartments containing their order. The e-cart is also weatherproofed, making it possible to park it outside in a range of weather conditions and seasons.

Overhead view of the BrightDrop Trace Grocery e-cart with a compartment open.

BrightDrop points out that the Trace Grocery Self-Dispense cart removes the need to build and maintain stationary lockers at the curbside to achieve similar results. The cart contains its own refrigeration, so it provides mobile cooling without building refrigeration systems outside the store.

The GM subsidiary claims up to 16 percent of the time involved in getting an online grocery order to the customer can be taken up by employees moving the order to the vehicle and placing it inside. The Trace Grocery Self-Dispense saves that time, along with making sure customers never have to wait to receive their groceries. Overall time savings are said to be approximately 34 percent.

The Trace Grocery Self-Dispense can currently be ordered by commercial grocery customers, and will begin production in early 2024.

The BrightDrop logo.

BrightDrop points out the online grocery market is expected to grow to $240 billion over the next two years, rewarding grocery services able to make their fulfillment process faster and thus fulfill more orders.

In addition to providing self-propelled, refrigerated grocery carts, BrightDrop is also supply Walmart with BrightDrop Zevo 600 and BrightDrop Zevo 400 all-electric delivery vans. Walmart placed an order for 5,000 of the vans in 2022.

After production slowdowns and disruption, production of the BrightDrop Zevo 600 is back on track at the GM CAMI Assembly plant in Ontario, Canada.

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Comments

  1. GM could make money building V8 Express Vans. However, they would rather lose money building these. Nothing bright about it.

    Reply
  2. I first read this as Self-Defense Feature. LOL

    Reply
  3. This seems like a really neat idea. With two young children in sports, our family almost exclusively uses the grocery pickup option. I agree that some stores are highly inefficient when it comes to getting your groceries out to you. Luckily my local Kroger does a great job, but I’m sure this isn’t the case in all markets.

    I wonder what the cost will be and how long the ROI is.

    Reply

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