REWE Lieferbot 2.0 launches with a larger range and even more convenience

Following a successfully completed test phase, REWE in Hamburg is now sending the REWE delivery bots on the road and on their way to customers who can order their shopping online and have it delivered in the vicinity of the REWE store at Holsteinischer Kamp 53 in Barmbek using a new app in the REWE design. The rolling shopping baskets are in use within the test area from Monday to Saturday between 8 am and 9 pm. REWE had already tested the autonomous delivery bots in Hamburg-Eimsbüttel for six months in 2023. The main focus was on the technical feasibility of the project, which proved to be innovative and feasible. After the first, successful test phase, we are now looking forward to inspiring our customers with the fast and autonomous service of the delivery bot 2.0. The new delivery bot not only impresses with longer delivery times; the product range has also been significantly expanded, says Andreas Persigehl, CEO of REWE Region Nord.

At the launch of the new delivery bots, Dr. Melanie Leonhard, Senator for Economics, Labour and Innovation, was also impressed by the efficiency of the rolling shopping baskets: I think it is important to promote and further develop new technologies. In this respect, I am convinced that the REWE delivery bots are an enrichment for customers, but also for Hamburg as a location for innovation.

Technology that inspires

The movement radius of the robotic vehicles, which weigh around 35 kilograms and are slightly larger than a crate of beer, is 1.5 to two kilometers. The vehicles maneuver along the sidewalk at less than six kilometers per hour and deliver the desired items to the customer’s home within an hour. 360-degree cameras and artificial intelligence ensure that there are no accidents. The regular collection range is available, but with restrictions: For example, beverage crates, frozen products, service counters, meat and fish products requiring refrigeration and over-the-counter medications are excluded for the time being. The REWE delivery bots have a capacity of 32 liters and can run for 18 hours on a single battery charge. Once the order has been received digitally, it is picked in the REWE store and sent on its way.

Successful cooperation

The technology of the autonomous delivery vehicles comes from the partner company Starship, which specializes in self-driving delivery robots. The delivery bots are TÜV-certified to ensure the highest safety standards. The app that customers use to order is part of REWE’s Pickitoo platform and makes it easy to select, pay for and deliver their purchases.starship robots are battery-powered and therefore emission-free. An average delivery consumes as little energy as making a cup of tea. As a result, they not only offer a convenient alternative to the car, but also relieve local traffic and reduce emissions at the same time.

Well supplied: the REWE Region North

REWE Region Nord, headquartered in Henstedt-Ulzburg, is an important local supplier in the federal states of Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia and in the Free and Hanseatic Cities of Hamburg and Bremen. The more than 700 REWE stores and 100 Nahkauf stores receive their goods from the logistics locations in Stelle, Lehrte, Henstedt-Ulzburg, Breuna and Sottrum and supply around 1 million customers every day. A total of around 35,000 employees work in the stores, logistics and administrative locations, including around 1,200 young people who are completing their training.