As residents of Toronto continue to stay home and self-isolate amid the global pandemic, the demand for grocery pickup and delivery services remains higher than ever before. 

As a result, Loblaws is now using its new Automated Picking Facility to fulfill online orders at the Dufferin and Steeles Real Canadian Superstore.

"The demand for Loblaw's PC Express pick up and delivery has grown significantly in recent weeks as the numbers of customers shopping from home continues to spike," said spokesperson Lana Gogas. 

Last year, the company invested in the development of its first 15,000 square-foot Automated Picking Facility within the store to support the growth of PC Express, the President's Choice delivery and pickup service. 

Now, the company is ready to utilize the new technology to help keep residents fed throughout this public health crisis. 

"The Automated Picking Facility is a new technology that will significantly increase the current picking rate," Gogas said. 

"The speed of picking and the ability to leverage our store network which are near to where our customers live, opens up additional availability for orders and offers added convenience to our customers."

According to Gogas, the use of this facility will open up additional availability for online orders by increasing the pick rate to 500+ units per hour.

She also said there are plans to expand the facility's capacity in order to support other local stores in the coming weeks and months.