A day in the life of an online grocery picker

This is a composite, built from supermarket job adverts, retailers' careers pages and official guidance. "Sam" is not a real person. Sam's shift shows what a typical morning looks like for an online grocery picker in a big UK supermarket. The pay, rules and benefits in this piece come from real sources, and each one says when we checked it.

If you have ever had a supermarket delivery, someone walked the aisles and chose every item in it. That person is the picker. Here is what their day is like.

What does an online grocery picker do?

An online grocery picker collects customers' online orders from the shop shelves, so they can be delivered or collected. You check each item for quality and dates, swap anything that is out of stock, and get the orders ready for the vans.

Supermarkets do not always call it the same thing. Tesco uses titles like "dotcom picker". Sainsbury's lists picking orders as one part of its general customer assistant job. Other supermarkets may use other titles, so search for more than one.

In many stores the job is not only picking. The Tesco dotcom picker advert we read in September 2026 says you work across service, picking and filling shelves. So some days you may be on the shop floor or on the tills as well.

6:45am: how does the shift start?

Sam's shift starts at 7am, but Sam arrives 15 minutes early. There is time to hang up a coat, put on the uniform and have a quick chat with the team.

The Tesco advert we checked has an availability window that starts at 7am on most days. A Sainsbury's advert we checked has a window from 4am to 10am. Both start early, so be ready for early alarms.

The team huddle

Before anyone picks, a team leader gives a short briefing. They say how many orders are due, which vans leave first, and anything to watch for. That might be a product that has sold out, or a new promotion.

Getting the kit ready

Sam collects a picking trolley and a handheld scanner. The scanner shows the next item on the list and where to find it in the store. Sam checks the battery is charged and the trolley has clean crates or bags.

7:10am: how does picking an order work?

You follow the list on your scanner, walk to each item, scan it and place it in the right crate. In Sam's store, pickers work on several customers' orders at once, so each order has its own crate or bag on the trolley.

In Sam's store, the list follows the order you would walk the shop, which saves steps. Sam starts with tins and packets, then fresh food, then chilled, and frozen last so it stays cold.

Ambient, chilled and frozen

Supermarkets sort food by temperature:

• Ambient. Food kept at room temperature, like tins, pasta, cereal and cleaning products.
• Chilled. Fridge items, like milk, meat, cheese and salad.
• Frozen. Freezer items, like ice cream and frozen vegetables.

Each type goes in its own crate. That keeps the chilled and frozen food cold until it reaches the customer's door.

Checking dates and quality

Sam checks every fresh item before scanning it. Is the bag of apples bruised? Is the milk's date far enough away? The Tesco advert asks pickers to handle products with care, so they reach customers in the best condition.

A good rule is to pick what you would want in your own kitchen. If you would not buy it, do not send it.

8:30am: what happens when something is out of stock?

If an item is not on the shelf, you look for it in the stockroom or choose a close replacement. This is called a substitution. Tesco's help pages say a customer who does not want a swap can hand it back to the driver or collection colleague for a refund.

Choosing a good swap is a real skill. If a customer ordered a four-pack of one brand of yoghurt, a four-pack of a similar yoghurt is a better swap than a single large pot.

What makes a good substitution

• Same size or bigger. Do not swap a large pack for a small one if you can help it.
• Same type. Gluten-free for gluten-free, vegetarian for vegetarian.
• Similar product. Tesco says it charges the original price if a swap costs more. Even so, a close match keeps customers happiest.
• Respect "no substitutes". Customers can choose whether to allow swaps. Your scanner should tell you.

Some items are hard to swap, like baby milk or a specific medicine. Your store will have rules for these, so ask your team leader in your first week.

10:00am: break time

Sam takes a 20-minute break mid-morning. By now Sam has walked a long way and has been in and out of the freezer aisles.

The law gives you one unbroken 20-minute break if you work more than 6 hours in a day. Whether that break is paid depends on your contract. If you are under 18, the rules are stronger: you get a 30-minute break if you work more than 4.5 hours.

You also have a right to 11 hours' rest between working days (12 hours if you are under 18). That matters if you work a late shift followed by an early one. You can read more in the GOV.UK guidance linked at the end.

11:30am: how do orders get to the vans?

When a batch of orders is picked, it goes to a holding area to wait for the van or for click and collect. The crates stay grouped by order and by temperature, so the driver can find each customer's shopping quickly.

Sainsbury's careers site describes it simply: the online team gets the shopping ready, and then the drivers take it out. It says its drivers start their shift by checking that the van is already loaded. Who does the loading can vary, so ask at interview.

Click and collect

Some orders are not delivered at all. The customer drives to the store and picks the shopping up. Those orders sit in a collection point until the customer arrives.

If your store offers collection, you may take turns handing orders over. That part of the job is more like customer service. You check the customer's name, hand over the crates and explain any swaps.

2:00pm: what is hard about the job?

The hardest parts are the walking, the cold and the time pressure. The job keeps you active, but expect sore feet in your first few weeks.

A Sainsbury's advert we checked says the work is physical and busy, and involves moving often heavy loads. You will lift crates, push a loaded trolley and bend down to low shelves again and again.

Lifting and your rights

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance says employers must avoid hazardous lifting where they reasonably can. Where they cannot, they must assess the risk and reduce it. HSE also says the law does not set fixed weight limits. If a crate feels too heavy, ask for help.

The cold

Chilled and frozen aisles are cold, and you go in and out of them all shift. Ask at interview whether the store gives pickers a warm jacket or gloves for this.

Picking speed

Orders have to be ready before the vans leave, so speed matters. Some stores may track how fast pickers work, but no supermarket we checked publishes a target. If this worries you, ask about it at interview. It is a fair question.

What does an online grocery picker earn?

Online pickers at big supermarkets are paid by the hour. In the adverts we read, Tesco and Sainsbury's paid picking roles their standard store colleague rate. When we checked in September 2026, both were advertising more than the National Living Wage.

The legal minimum depends on your age and whether you are an apprentice, not your job title. A supermarket can pay more than the minimum, but never less.

Hours and contracts

Many picker jobs are part-time. The Tesco advert we read offered 16 guaranteed hours a week. Picker adverts for Booker, a wholesaler that recruits through Tesco's careers site, listed set patterns. These included an afternoon and evening shift, and a full-time role of 38 hours a week.

Benefits

The adverts we read listed a staff discount at both retailers. Tesco offered 10% off, rising to 15% on pay day weekends. Sainsbury's offered 10% off at Sainsbury's, Argos, Tu and Habitat, rising to 15% at Sainsbury's on Fridays and Saturdays. Both mentioned a pension with matching payments.

Is online picking the right job for you?

Online picking suits you if you like to keep moving, work well on your own and care about getting details right. It suits you less if you want lots of time chatting with customers.

You might enjoy it if you

• Like being active. You are on your feet and walking most of the shift.
• Are careful. Small mistakes, like the wrong size of milk, annoy customers.
• Like early finishes. Morning shifts often end in the early afternoon.
• Want clear tasks. The scanner tells you what comes next.

How to get the job

You apply online through the supermarket's careers site. The steps after that vary from one retailer to the next. Our guides on getting a job at Tesco and getting a job at Sainsbury's explain each step.

You do not usually need experience. If this would be your first job, our guide to retail jobs with no experience will help. It is also worth practising a few common retail interview questions. Think of a time you were careful, reliable or worked fast under pressure.

Frequently asked questions

Do online grocery pickers need a driving licence?

No. Picking happens inside the store. Driving the delivery van is a separate job, and it has its own adverts and requirements.

How much walking does an online picker do?

A lot. You walk the whole store many times in one shift. Comfortable, supportive shoes make a big difference, as long as they meet your store's uniform rules.

Do pickers get to talk to customers?

Yes, sometimes. You will pass shoppers in the aisles and may help them find things. If your store offers click and collect, you may hand orders to customers too.

Is online picking the same as warehouse picking?

Not quite. Store pickers work on the shop floor among shoppers. Some retailers also pick orders in large warehouses, where the work and the shifts can be different.

Can you be an online picker at 16 or 17?

Sometimes, yes. Tesco's advert says it only hires people over school-leaving age. It also says a role needs someone over 18 if it involves work before 6:15am or after 9:45pm, or areas such as beers, wines and spirits. Check the hours and duties on the advert.

What happens if I pick the wrong item?

Tell your team leader. Most mistakes can be fixed before the order leaves. Learning the store layout and checking each scan helps you avoid errors.

Find online picker jobs

We collect retail jobs from retailers' careers sites and job boards, so you can search them in one place. Try our online picker jobs search to see what is open near you. Our membership adds job alerts and a tracker for your applications. You can read how we check our facts in our editorial policy.

_This is general information, not legal or careers advice. Check the retailer's advert and the official source before you act._

Sources and further reading

• Tesco Colleague dotcom picker, Fulbourn Cherryhinton — Tesco, checked 28 September 2026
• Tesco jobs search: picker — Tesco, checked 28 September 2026
• Customer Assistant, Peterborough — Sainsbury's, checked 28 September 2026
• Join our store team — Sainsbury's, checked 28 September 2026
• National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates — GOV.UK, checked 28 September 2026
• Rest breaks at work — GOV.UK, checked 28 September 2026
• Rest breaks at work: young workers — GOV.UK, checked 28 September 2026
• I've received something I didn't order — Tesco, checked 28 September 2026
• Manual handling at work — Health and Safety Executive, checked 28 September 2026
• Manual handling at work: a brief guide (INDG143) — Health and Safety Executive, checked 28 September 2026