M&S fruit box

Source: M&S

M&S’s seasonal fruit box, one of three new optons

  • 2,500 food boxes are now being delivered to customers each week

  • Automation levels at the Castle Donington DC mean more orders can be picked with fewer people on site

  • Box options include mixed vegetables, seasonal fruit, cupboard staples and meat

 

M&S has switched its clothing and home distribution network to supplying food boxes, allowing 2,500 to be delivered to customers each week.

The boxes, which were launched last month, are now being picked and despatched from M&S’s main distribution centre in Castle Donington.

Automation levels at the DC mean more orders can be picked with fewer people on site, allowing capacity to increase without compromising social distancing.

Previously, M&S has been using logistics partner Flamingo to fulfil the orders.

M&S has also added three new varieties to the range of boxes, with two mixed vegetable options and a seasonal fruit choice.

There’s also the original box, containing cupboard staples such as pasta, rice and cooking sauces, and a meat box. Prices range from £15 for mixed vegetables to £45 for the meat box, plus a £3.99 charge for contact-free scheduled delivery, including a next-day option. Orders are taken at marksandspencer.com/l/gifts/food-boxes.

The boxes, intended to help vulnerable shoppers during the coronavirus lockdown, marked an early entry into online grocery for M&S, before its range arrives on Ocado’s website in September.

Aldi also launched food boxes for vulnerable shoppers this week, in its first UK online grocery offering.

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