Waitrose trials two-hour delivery service

Waitrose is trialling a two-hour delivery service for food and drink in selected London postcodes.

It is using On the dot, the last mile specialist spun out of CitySprint for the “Waitrose Rapid Delivery” service.

Customers will be able to choose up to 20 items from more than 1,500 products at rapid.waitrose.com.

Before completing their order they will be given the option to receive their shopping within two hours of placing the order or to specify a one-hour time slot on the same day. There is a £10 minimum spend and a £5 charge will apply for using either service.

The postcodes covered are: SW5, SW6, SW10, WC1, WC2, EC1, CR5 and CR8.

Richard Ambler, head of business development at Waitrose & 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.”

Using On the dot cargo bikes as well as vans to make deliveries is predicted to save up to four tonnes of GHG emissions a year. “The grocery sector is undergoing its biggest shift for decades – one where convenience and immediacy will win,” said Santosh Sahu, chief executive at On the dot.