Waitrose has announced that it will expand its Deliveroo service to 110 new shops across the country with up to 400 new Waitrose shop roles created by the roll out.
It will increase the number of Waitrose shops on Deliveroo to 150 in total by the end of the summer and is expected to take the number of people who are able to enjoy Waitrose food on Deliveroo to around 13 million. The partnership is a central part of Deliveroo’s expansion strategy across the UK.
Customers will be able to order from an increased range of between 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. New nationwide locations on Deliveroo will include shops in Cheltenham, Harrogate, Exeter, York and Sheffield.
Up to 400 new jobs will be created in those Waitrose shops where it’s being introduced to fulfil orders ready to be collected and delivered by Deliveroo. All roles will be advertised on jlpjobs.com before the service launches in each location.
Waitrose began a five store trial with Deliveroo in September last year and is currently available from 40 shops. Sales of Waitrose products through Deliveroo have been strong and it’s helping to attract new and younger customers.
The expanded range includes free-from, dairy alternatives, vegan ranges, flowers and gifts, as well as a selection of product bundles for even greater convenience, including 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.
James Bailey, Executive Director for Waitrose, 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.”
Nina Bhatia, Executive Director for Strategy and Commercial Development at the John Lewis Partnership, said: “Today’s announcement demonstrates our ambition to grow our business and reach customers in new ways through developing partnerships alongside our own channels. Our partnership with Deliveroo has already proved extremely popular with the vast majority of customers returning week on week, helping to create a healthy balance of loyalty and attracting new and younger customers”
Carlo Mocci, Chief Business Officer UKI, Deliveroo said: “We are delighted to announce a two-year partnership and nationwide expansion with Waitrose, following a hugely successful and popular trial. This partnership is a core part of our expansion strategy which has already reached 60% of the UK population, driven by strong demand for our grocery offering. Waitrose is one of the most respected and well-known British companies and we are extremely proud to expand this partnership right across the country, laying the foundation for future growth.”
The new agreement with Deliveroo is the latest example of how the Partnership is working with third parties to offer customers a broader range of products and services. In the past year, the number of John Lewis Click & Collect points has increased to more than 900 locations through collaborations, while Nespresso, Boden and Sweaty Betty orders can also be collected from selected Waitrose and John Lewis shops.
