Sept/Oct 2003

Tesco.com, the online grocery retailer, is to withdraw the facility for customers to order offline, then submit their completed orders at the press of a single button. The facility has not been promoted for over a year, and the company says it is now little used.

However, other retailers such as Iceland are still keen users, and the original Unipower software with hard-coded interface has now been replaced by a more flexible browser-based system. The latest user is understood to be Shop Direct Group, the former GUS home shopping business.

According to some reports, at its peak the Tesco system accounted for 20 to 30 per cent of its home shoppers.

The Tesco facility is being withdrawn in November, and the company is directing remaining users to its live Web site.

• Tesco.com's sales were up by 32 per cent in the half-year ending August. Profits were up to £11 million (although this excludes start-up) - approaching double the profit of the previous year. Turnover is currently running at £10 million per week.