PC Express
Bridging the gap between online and in-store grocery shopping experiences.
Table of Contents
Overview
PC Express is Loblaw's grocery pickup and delivery service. Despite its popularity, users frequently encounter friction at the handoff point between their online order and the in-store or curbside pickup experience.
Our team was tasked with identifying and resolving pain points in the PC Express service journey to create a more seamless, end-to-end experience.
Research
We conducted contextual inquiries and interviews with PC Express users to map the full service journey. Key friction points emerged at three stages:
- Item substitution — customers were not informed about substitutions until pickup
- Order modifications — no way to make last-minute additions after order cutoff
- Pickup communication — unclear notifications about order readiness and delays
Ideation
Using our research insights, we ran ideation sessions to generate solutions across the service journey. We evaluated concepts against desirability, feasibility, and viability before moving forward.
Proposed Solution
Our solution focused on improving the substitution experience and pickup communication. Key features include:
- Substitution previews — notify customers of potential substitutions before the order is packed
- In-app approval flow — let customers approve or decline substitutions with alternatives shown
- Real-time pickup tracking — live status updates from "packing" to "ready for pickup"
- Arrival check-in — integrated check-in flow so staff know when you've arrived
Next Steps
Next steps would include usability testing with real PC Express customers, validating the substitution approval flow, and working with the Loblaw tech team to assess implementation feasibility within their existing app infrastructure.