Opening of the Ochama pick-up store in Rotterdam
On Monday 10 January, the Ochama pick-up store in Rotterdam (Vierhavenssstraat 29) opened their doors for customers. After downloading the Ochama app on my mobile phone, I ordered a couple of instant noodles of the brands Ottogi and Mama to try out. You can have a same day pick-up, if you place your order before 11:00. As soon as you receive a notification that the order has arrived at the pick-up point and the unique QR-code of your order, you can go get your items, even before the selected pick-up time. I ordered in the morning and the order arrived around 13:30-14:00, about one hour earlier than expected. I think the ordered items get transferred together from the warehouse to the pick-up point at around noon. So, it is not like the earlier you order, the earlier you get your things. Someone who placed an order an hour later than me, actually got his order faster (5 minutes earlier, but still). It is like a last in, first out thing, where the items that get in the truck first gets unloaded and processed last. If you order something on the Ochama app the day before, you can have the pick-up time in the morning.
When I got to the Ochama pick-up store, I was greeted by an employee at the door and he guided me through the whole process. First, you open the Ochama app on your mobile phone, click on the QR-code button at the bottom right, touch the touch screen at one of the pick-up points to activate it, place the QR-code in front of the black-rimmed white rectangle on the wall, your order will show up on the touch screen and you need to press on the collect button. After a short wait, your ordered items will show up in front of you in a big plastic bin, that rolled there on the conveyor belt. You can freely grab one of the paper bags to carry your items in or place the items in your own bags and crates. I suddenly realize that I don't know how the big plastic bin that is emptied goes back away, so that the next customer can collect their order. The employee probably did that for me, after I left.
As I was one of the first 1000 customers, I received a sturdy canvas Ochama goodie bag containing a small bottle of Lipton green tea, a Pukka tea box, an Ochama X candle, a Tony Chocolonely chocolate bar (caramel sea salt flavor), a can of Unox green pea soup, and a carton of vegan Yogho! Yogho! Strawberry yogurt drink.
