After a successfully completed test phase, Rewe in Hamburg is now putting the “REWE Lieferbots” on the road with immediate effect: Customers who order their groceries online via a new app within the vicinity of the Rewe market Holsteinischer Kamp 53 in Barmbek can now be supplied by the robot, as reported in a press release dated October 16. The rolling shopping baskets are reportedly in operation Monday through Saturday between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. within the test area. In 2023, Rewe had already tested the autonomous delivery bots in Hamburg-Eimsbüttel for six months. It was primarily about the technical feasibility of the project, which proved to
be innovative and feasible, according to the retailer.
„Nach der ersten, erfolgreichen Testphase freuen wir uns nun, unsere Kundinnen und Kunden mit dem schnellen und autonomen Service des Lieferbot 2.0 zu begeistern. Der neue Lieferbot überzeugt nicht nur mit verlängerten Lieferzeiten; auch das Sortiment wurde deutlich erweitert“, so Andreas Persigehl, Vorsitzender der Geschäftsleitung der Rewe Region Nord.
At the start of the new delivery bots, Dr. Melanie Leonhard, Senator for Economy, Labour and Innovation, also expressed the efficiency of the rolling shopping baskets: “I think it is important to promote and develop new technologies. In this regard I am convinced that the REWE Lieferbots are an enrichment for
customers, but also for Hamburg as an innovation location,” she said.
Your desired item delivered in one hour
The operating radius of the approximately 35-kilogram robotic vehicles, which are somewhat larger than a crate of beer, is reportedly 1.5 to 2 kilometers. Moving at under six kilometers per hour, the vehicles maneuver along the sidewalk and bring the desired items home within an hour. 360-degree cameras and artificial intelligence are supposed to ensure that there are no accidents. According to the press release, the regular pickup assortment is available, but with restrictions: Beverage crates, frozen products, service counters, refrigerated meat and fish products as well as over-the-counter medications
are initially excluded. The REWE Lieferbots have a capacity of 32 liters and can operate for 18 hours on a single battery charge. Once the order has been digitally received, it is picked at the Rewe market and dispatched on its journey.
The technology of the autonomous delivery vehicles comes, according to the press release, from partner company Starship, which specializes in self-driving delivery robots. The delivery bots are TÜV-certified to ensure high safety standards. The app through which customers order is part of the “Pickitoo” platform from Rewe and is intended to enable easy selection, payment and delivery of the groceries. Starship robots are battery-powered and thus
