Asda Tests Self-Serve Liquid Detergent Dispensing System

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November 30, 2010

For the past nine months, Asda has been testing a store brands liquid detergent dispensing technology in five of its stores, and is searching for a leading detergent supplier partner to help it install the machines across its network.

Although Walmart’s U.K. division has not released the findings of its beta test, the intent of the program is to cut costs, reduce consumer packaging and hopefully expand the program to other liquid categories, according to a BusinessGreen Report.

Backed by the U.K. government's Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the end-of-aisle dispensers were designed by eziserv. The results of the trial are expected to be released next month, according to a WRAP spokeswoman.

The programs evolution “really depends on how talks go with manufacturers,” an Asda spokeswoman told BusinessGreen. “But this is really about taking it to the next stage and we hope to reveal all early next year."

While the test program reportedly has had many positive results, the system proved messy for users at first, which the company has since tweaked. The program’s success in the end hinged on employee and customer engagement, and finding the best price for the product, the spokeswoman said.

"This shows how we can work together, pool expertise and demonstrate the viability of new technology before passing the baton on to business to take it forward," said Richard Swannell, WRAP director of retail. "We are also talking to others in the retail sector about the opportunities for reusable packaging [through the eziserv system] in relation to products ranging from laundry products to paint to deliver further cost and environmental benefits."

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