Waitrose to add more than 100 locations offering Deliveroo service

Tuesday 27 April 2021

• Deliveroo and Waitrose announce two-year partnership following successful trial
• Nationwide expansion will take the total number Waitrose shops on Deliveroo to 150 by the end of the summer 
• Up to 400 new Waitrose jobs will be created by the roll out

Waitrose has today (27 April) 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.    

Customers can find out more about how they will be able to order Waitrose food on Deliveroo at Waitrose.com/deliveroo.

About Waitrose

Waitrose & Partners has 331 shops in England, Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands, 27 shops at Welcome Break locations, and Waitrose.com - its fast-growing online shopping business, consistently rated highly by independent research. The retailer combines the convenience of a supermarket with the expertise and service of a specialist shop - dedicated to offering quality food that has been responsibly sourced, combined with high standards of customer service. As part of an employee-owned business, all Partners have a say in how the business is run. 

About Deliveroo 

Deliveroo is an award-winning delivery service founded in 2013 by William Shu and Greg Orlowski. Deliveroo works with over 115,000 best-loved restaurants and grocery partners, as well as 100,000 riders to provide the best food delivery experience in the world.  Deliveroo is headquartered in London, with around 2,000 employees in offices around the globe.

Deliveroo operates in nearly 800 locations across 12 markets, including Australia, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and the United Kingdom.

About the John Lewis Partnership

The John Lewis Partnership owns and operates two of Britain's best-loved retail brands - John Lewis and Waitrose. Started as a radical idea nearly a century ago, the Partnership is the largest employee-owned business in the UK and amongst the largest in the world, with over 80,000 employees who are all Partners in the business. Profits made are reinvested into the business - for customers and Partners. John Lewis operates 42 shops plus one outlet across the UK as well as johnlewis.com. Waitrose has 331 shops in England, Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands, including 59 convenience branches, and another 27 shops at Welcome Break locations. The retailer's omnichannel business includes the online grocery service, Waitrose.com, as well as specialist online shops including waitrosecellar.com for wine and waitroseflorist.com for plants and flowers.