Dan Murphy’s Manly Vale launch drive-thru bottle shop to help with coronavirus social distancing
In a first for Australia, a northern beaches bottle shop is using rego plate recognition camera technology to get customers in and out in less tan three minutes.
Manly
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During these troubled coronavirus times getting in and out of a bottle shop with your favourite tipple in less than three minutes has got to be a good thing.
Now, in an Australian-first, one of the busiest bottle-os on the northern beaches is using state-of-the-art number plate recognition cameras to make that happen.
The Dan Murphy’s outlet on Condamine St, Manly Vale, is using what it calls a “direct-to-boot drive thru” system to help customers adhere ti social distancing guidelines.
Instead of battling through the aisles and lining up at the checkout, customers can now go on to the company website and enter their registration number when they are making their online order.
When they arrive at the drive thru in the underground car park, digital cameras scan the number plate and alert retail staff the car has arrived. They then plonk the order into the car’s boot.
Dan Murphy’s, part of the Endeavour Group which incudes BWS bottle shops and is part of Woolworths, reckons customers can be in and out in less than three minutes.
Previously, customers who ordered online and wanted to pick up their purchases, had to send an SMS to staff when they arrived at the shop.
Endeavour’s general manager (digital) Claire Smith, said the new technology would make shopping more convenient.
“The COVID crisis has accelerated the demand for innovative e-commerce solutions,” Ms Smith said.
More than 170 Dan Murphy’s and BWS stores have been using the direct-to-boot SMS service since April as a response to COVID-19.
“Direct-to-boot service started as an idea to help customers and team members socially distance, but customers have responded to the convenience of it, so we are not only keeping the service indefinitely, but expanding the offering and making it even more convenient – like in the Manly Vale Dan Murphy’s store case,” Ms Smith said.
““We changed the way we deliver due to COVID-19, and developed contactless delivery for our team and customers, with many customers opting for contactless delivery in order to maintain social distance,” she explained.
HOW IT WORKS:
1. ORDER ONLINE
Customer orders online on danmurphys.com.au, enters their licence plate number during check-out. An SMS and email is sent to the customer, with instructions.
2. ARRIVE AT DRIVE THRU
As the customer arrives at the drive thru, cameras scan the number plate, match it with a pick-up order and alerts the staff of the customer’s arrival.
3. PARK
While the staff identifies the order, instructions and progress updates are communicated to customers in cars via digital screens mounted on the wall.
4. RESPONSIBLE SERVICE OF ALCOHOL CHECK & ORDER RECEIVED
Customer stays in the car, while the staff member does an RSA check and places the order in the car boot. Digital screens recap the order for customers to check while their order is loaded.