A Premier store owner has confirmed that wholesaler Booker will be charging for its click and collect service as well alongside the new delivery fee.
Mos Patel, owner of Premier store in Oldham and Family Shopper in Ashton, revealed that from Feb 28, Booker will be charging £10 per visit for its click and collect service. The retailer, who used to avail five deliveries per week for his two stores from the Tesco-owned wholesaler, has already cut down deliveries and was planning to opt more for this service in the wake of new delivery fee.
“It is true that there is a £10 charge now on Click and Collect. Also, we can’t use the credit facility. We need to pay by cash or card,” the Premier retailer told Asian Trader.
Booker announced last month that from Feb 28, store owners will have to pay a delivery fee. Premier and Family Shoppers will be charged £29.95 per delivery, rising up to £34.95 for non-symbol stores. The announcement was met with a mixed response with most retailers saying it came out of nowhere as a complete shock.
While some retailers say they do understand that the wholesale giant is just trying to tackle the rising costs, the fact remains that all of them were left to take account of their business expenses due to the new charges.
As a result, many retailers were planning to cut down deliveries and opt for more click and collect service as well as procuring from other wholesalers and local suppliers.
Meanwhile, wholesalers Bestway and Parfetts told Asian Trader that they have no plans to impose any delivery fee in near future. Booker was also reached out for comments.