Upmarket UK retailer Waitrose & Partners has announced that it will expand its Deliveroo service to 110 new shops across the country.
The expansion will see the creation of up to 400 new jobs at Waitrose and take the total number of Waitrose shops on Deliveroo to 150 by the end of the summer, extending the service to around 13 million people in the UK.
The two-year partnership between Waitrose and Deliveroo follows a successful trial last year, which helped the retailer attract new and younger customers.
Executive director of Waitrose, James Bailey, said, "We have grown our online business at pace in the last year, responding to huge demand for online groceries and offering more choice in when and how people want to shop with us.
"We know convenience is key for many of our customers and the expansion of the service with Deliveroo will play an integral role in helping us make Waitrose food more convenient than ever before."
Trial Project
In September of last year, Waitrose commenced a five-store trial with the food delivery firm. The service is currently available in 40 stores.
The partnership is also a central part of Deliveroo's expansion strategy across the UK.
Deliveroo is currently available to 60% of the UK population, and the company aims to build the best proposition to attract new consumers, restaurants, grocers and riders throughout 2021.
The expansion will allow Deliveroo customers to choose from a wider assortment of 750 to 1,000 products and have it delivered in as little as 20 minutes from Waitrose shops in Scotland, the North West, North East, Midlands, South West, South East and London, Waitrose added.
New locations on Deliveroo will include Waitrose outlets in Cheltenham, Lincoln, Exeter, York and Sheffield.
Carlo Mocci, chief business officer UKI, Deliveroo, said, "Waitrose is one of the most respected and loved British companies and we are proud to expand the extremely popular Waitrose service on Deliveroo.
"As we expand further across the country, this partnership will mean more choice and selection for our customers, delivered in as little as 20 minutes, and will create even more work for riders right across the UK."
Product Assortment
The expanded product range includes free-from, dairy alternatives, vegan items, flowers and gifts, as well as a selection of product bundles for greater convenience.
These include steak dinners, treats such as profiteroles and Prosecco, or meals for seasonal occasions.
Lemons and avocados are consistently the most popular customer choices, closely followed by bananas, blueberries and strawberries, the retailer added.
In a recent trading update, Deliveroo said its orders more than doubled in its first quarter to the end of March, with Group orders up 114% year-on-year to 71 million and gross transaction value (GTV) up 130% year-on-year to £1.65 billion (€1.9 billion). [Pic: Fiona Hanson 2020©]
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Dayeeta Das. For more Retail news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
