'Tesco Direct' A new concept in non-food shopping

    /24-7PressRelease/ - EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND, September 21, 2006 - Tesco has announced that it is launching an exciting new concept - Tesco Direct, which will bring a new Tesco non-food offer to millions more customers.

Over 8,000 products will be available from beds and sofas through to kitchenware, electricals, cameras, bikes and golf clubs - giving customers more products at great Tesco prices than they have ever had access to before.

Customers can choose the product they want on a new website or from a new catalogue
And then order in one of three easy ways to order:
On-line via the tesco.com website
By phone
In selected stores at the new Tesco Direct desks

Delivery will be easy too - Tesco will become the first ever supermarket not only to offer next day delivery on non-food items, but also to give the option of a two hour time slot for the home delivery of smaller items.* Customers can also choose to pick up their order up from selected stores the next day**

And they won't have to wait weeks for larger items such as furniture - these will be delivered within five to ten days.

Andrew Higginson, Tesco Finance and Strategy Director said: "Our customers have told us they not only want easier access to our non-food products, but they would love to see a bigger range too.

"Currently only around a quarter of UK shoppers are able to get to a Tesco Extra store easily so Tesco Direct will make our non-food products more accessible than ever before.

"Tesco Direct will have more breadth and depth and all at the great value prices that our customers have come to expect from us."

The launch of Tesco Direct will mean that shopping for non-food items will be easier than ever before - combining easy access to a great product range and more choices on when and how to shop.

Andrew Higginson continues: "Convenience is increasingly important to our customers and we believe that offering new ways to order and a wider range of products will be really popular with our customers.

"More single person households, an ageing population, as well as more city-centre living are all factors affecting the changing face of retail in the UK. We all have less time and tend to live more spontaneously today, which means that we are less likely to plan our shopping the way we used to. Our focus is on making life easier for customers."

Tesco Direct online shopping builds on the success of tesco.com and Tesco's in-store non-food offer.

Andrew Higginson added: "We have invested 30million in the start up costs of Tesco Direct.

"We have opened our own Publishing Media Centre which comprises a sample centre, photographic studio and design studio and we have built two fulfilment centres in Daventry and Crewe.

"Over time we believe Tesco Direct will become a substantial on-line and catalogue-based non-food business."

* the two hour time slot delivery service will be available nationally from the beginning of November

** orders placed before 12.00pm can be picked up from selected stores after 4pm the next day - excluding Sunday

For more information please contact:
Jonathan Church/Nikki Martin at the Tesco Press Office on 01992 644645.
Out of hours please dial: 01992 644733 and select option 2 from voicemail
E-mail: [email protected]

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