Deliveroo has announced the opening of two additional dark stores to enhance its rapid grocery delivery service, Hop. These dark stores, located in Canning Town and Kentish Town, represent a significant expansion of Hop’s coverage, now serving two-thirds of London’s boroughs.
The Canning Town dark store is a collaboration with Morrisons, marking the eleventh Hop site in partnership with the supermarket chain. On the other hand, the Kentish Town location is Deliveroo’s third Hop site in partnership with Waitrose. Both sites will operate seven days a week, from 8 am to 11 pm.
Deliveroo introduced Hop in September 2021 to compete with the growing number of rapid grocery delivery services like Getir and Gopuff, which were rapidly expanding their presence in London and beyond.
Carlo Mocci, Chief Business Officer UK&I at Deliveroo, expressed the service’s remarkable growth, emphasizing its popularity among customers who seek convenient access to fresh groceries delivered to their doorsteps. He stated, “The success of the service has meant a further expansion across London, and we are excited to build on our longstanding and successful partnership with Morrisons and Waitrose to expand our grocery offer to local residents.”
Unlike some rapid grocery delivery providers, Deliveroo collaborates with supermarkets as wholesale suppliers for its Hop stores. This strategic partnership allows Deliveroo to leverage the existing customer base, buying power, and scale of its supermarket partners.
Hop is also offered to retailers in-store pick mode, a concept introduced by Asda in April this year. This involves a dedicated picking space within the store and a team of store employees assigned to fulfill orders.
Deliveroo shared new data indicating the top-selling Hop grocery items in London since the beginning of the year. The list includes bananas, avocados, chicken breast fillets, free-range eggs, and easy peelers.
A Morrisons spokesperson highlighted the significance of the Canning Town expansion, emphasizing the ability to provide quick grocery deliveries to customers in West Ham, Canary Wharf, and Stratford, offering more convenience to Morrisons shoppers.
