Tesco: collection times
What time are Tesco collections?
The collection time at most Tesco stores is either at 8.30 PM on weekdays (earlier at weekends) or between 7-10 AM. You can see the time of a collection slot before claiming it on the Volunteer Hub.
Can collection times change?
Yes! Collection times at Tesco stores can be switched from morning to evening collections when Olio holds 5 or more slots at the store. Vice versa, collection slots can also be switched from evening to morning when charities hold the majority of slots.
We prefer having evening collections, as Food Waste Heroes will be able to pick up even more food in the final hours of the day before they pass their use-by date 🥳
How do these changes take place?
We have automation in place that actions any time changes. Once we receive a confirmation message for an evening collection slot, our system scans our collections to match if we have the morning collection slot at that store. If we have the morning collection slot, we automatically end the morning slot, create an evening slot and assign the morning FWH to the evening collection slot. Please note on the first Monday of a time switch there will be the opportunity to collect in the morning and the evening if the store has use-by items to donate that evening.
I’ve received a confirmation message, can my collection time still change?
No, you will only receive the confirmation message once our system matches the collection time provided by Tesco. Please attend the collection at the time it says when you receive the message in the squad chat. Here’s an example of a confirmation message you would receive “(Your name), Tesco has just confirmed that there's something for you to collect from (store name) for your collection at 20:30 on 26 July. Have fun!! 😍”
What do I do if there are both morning and evening slots at my store?
If you notice a mix of collection slots for both morning and evening, at your Tesco store, please do not worry. Time changes are updated daily and therefore takes 7 days for the new collection schedule to be visible across all slots. Please attend your collection for the time that it says when you receive confirmation that there is food to collect.