Shopping centre giant Westfield has announced a new direct drive-through service for contactless food deliveries during the coronavirus pandemic.
Westfield Direct enables consumers to purchase food online, and collect the takeaway from a Westfield staff member at a designated area.
As of publication, only 37 centres are participating in the ‘click and collect’ initiative nationwide.
There are no booking or delivery fees, and multiple retailers can be placed on the same order.
Food outlets range from cafés to fast food outlets, and even restaurants in a bid to keep business open amid reduced foot traffic during caused by social distancing regulations.
Highlights include Boost Juice, Grill’d, Subway, Soul Origin, and more depending on the centre.
Westfield’s parent company says Westfield Direct will expand to other retail categories “over the coming months”.
Orders can be placed on direct.westfield.com.au.
The firm has also removed boom gates at select Westfield centres, offering free unlimited parking as it is “regarded as an essential service in the community”.
As some hospitals trial drive-through testing of coronavirus, it seems cars have become an ideal place to stay safe and maintain social distancing.
For many businesses, drive-through and vehicle delivery services such as UberEats and Deliveroo are a lifeline as restrictions banning dining in restaurants, food courts, and most public areas take hold.
Fast food chain McDonald’s recently introduced the availability of household staples like fresh milk, bread rolls, and English muffins via drive-through.
Meanwhile, retailers like BCF, Supercheap Auto, and Officeworks have launched a contactless click and collect service where staff members place purchased items in the boot of an owner’s vehicle at the store carpark.
Similarly, for the essential grocery run, select Woolworths supermarket locations have a pick-up drive through option for those who have applied for priority assistance.
