Asda Plans to Streamline E-Commerce Distribution Service

Thursday, July 5, 2012 - 12:45 by Mike Price

Supermarket giant Asda intends to improve its ability to deliver safe shopping online with the introduction of a new software platform.

Created by software developer Manhattan, the program will be rolled out across Asda's chain of nationwide distribution centres in order to bolster the firm's order fulfilment potential. The software should also give the supermarket more room to expand in line with predictions.

Paul Anastasiou, a spokesperson for Asda, said that the firm was expected to experience marked growth in the market for safe shopping online and, as a result, it needs to be able to keep up with demand from customers who want home delivery on a wide range of items.

The system will first be implemented in Ollerton and will eventually spread further afield so that all of Asda's online customers in the UK feel the benefit.

Asda is just one of Britain's leading supermarket chains that is vying for supremacy in the e-commerce market, as it will also have to tackle growing competition from Tesco, which recently announced plans to improve its online experience by offering customers a personalised e-commerce platform.

Morrisons is also expected to enter the world of e-commerce on its own terms over the coming months. The supermarket has been building up for the move for quite some time and in the eyes of many it cannot come soon enough, as extra competition will be good news for consumers across the UK. Critics derided Morrisons' previous attempts to provide an effective online service, so the move ought to bolster the supermarket's domestic position.

It will be interesting to see whether Asda's new systems will have a noticeable impact on its ability to fulfil online orders. Hopefully, shoppers will be able to receive their products quickly and without many roadblocks cropping up to hamper the process.