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Waitrose and Partners has launched the trial of a two-hour delivery service in selected London postcodes today (19 September).
The supermarket has teamed up with startup retail delivery firm, On The Dot, to launch ‘Waitrose Rapid Delivery’ in the SW5, SW6 , SW10, WC1, WC2, EC1, CR5 and CR8 areas of the capital.
Customers in these areas will be able to choose up to 20 items and before completing their order, they will be given the option to receive their shopping within two hours of placing the order or a one-hour time slot on the same day. There will be a £10 minimum spend and a £5 charge will apply for using either service.
The trial has been designed to respond to the increase in customers shopping ‘as and when’. According to research carried out for the Waitrose Food Report 2017/18, two thirds of consumers regularly or occasionally visit a supermarket more than once a day. This report suggested this trend was prevalent among 18 to 24-year-olds who were twice as likely to regularly visit a supermarket twice a day as the over 55s.
Richard Ambler, head of business development at Waitrose and Partners, said: “Customers are increasingly wanting to buy whatever they want when they want it. For many, we have moved away from the weekly supermarket visit to give us more fluidity with our busy lives and give us better control against over-buying and waste.
“Our trips to the supermarket are therefore much more frequent – Waitrose Rapid Delivery ensures we give our customers even greater flexibility and convenience to get their shopping as and when they want it.”
Santosh Sahu, CEO at On The Dot, added: “The grocery sector is undergoing its biggest shift for decades – one where convenience and immediacy will win. Customers are shifting away from the routine of the big weekly shop – instead, time-poor and convenience-driven consumers are opting for ultra-fast deliveries of small baskets at a time that suits them. Customers want to take back control and remain informed on the status of their deliveries in real-time.
“Waitrose and Partners has always put the customer first and this partnership recognises the influence that delivery has on a customer’s shopping experience. On the dot enhance this customer experience by delivering great quality food to customers’ front doors. We are very excited to be partnering with one of the UK’s leading retailers and can’t wait to help Waitrose provide the rapid service its customers want.”
