Australian supermarket chain Woolworths has opened the country's first drive-thru supermarket, allowing shoppers in Sydney's Warringah Mall to collect orders without leaving their cars.

Customers will be able to make 'click & collect drive-thru' orders at Woolworths Online through their smartphones, tablets or PCs, arranging a time to pick up their groceries with an attendant that packs the bags into the trunk.

National online operations manager Brian Sturrock said the'click & collect' service had proved successful, leading customers to request the technology's availability in a drive-thru format.

"Customers are constantly telling us that they want more flexibility around how and when they shop. The drive-thru service is another way we are offering our customers choice and the ability to tailor their shopping experiences to suit their lifestyle, whether this means shopping in-store, getting your groceries delivered or picking them up from your local store," he said.

"Woolworths 'click & drive-thru' will appeal to a broad range of customers; mums and dads who don't want to unload the kids from the car when picking up their shopping and our time-poor customers who don't want to spend time finding parking, going in-store or waiting for home delivery."

Photo: Woolworths

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