Digital technology is rapidly becoming a part of European retailers’ development strategies. However, the approaches vary significantly. In Austria, Spar has opened an online channel to distribute its entire range of fresh food products. Although initially available in Vienna and nearby areas, the service will gradually be extended to other regions of the country around the retailer’s network of Interspar hypermarkets.

In France, Intermarché has opened a 24/7 Intermarché Express collection facility in Lyon (Figure 14). In the UK, Marks & Spencer is trialling click & collect lockers in a Simply Food store and Sainsbury’s has opened an online order management centre in London. In Spain, El Corte Inglés has extended Click&Express, its online rapid-delivery purchasing service, to a further 10 Spanish cities.