Uber Eats, the popular food delivery platform, has announced a partnership with premium supermarket chain Waitrose to provide on-demand grocery delivery in the UK. The service aims to deliver groceries from Waitrose stores to customers’ doorsteps within just 20 minutes. By the end of August, this offering will be available across more than 200 Waitrose stores in the country.
Waitrose has experienced significant growth in on-demand grocery orders, particularly driven by younger customers, with a 40% increase compared to the previous year. James Bailey, Executive Director at Waitrose, expressed the company’s desire to make Waitrose products accessible to a wider audience, stating, “On-demand grocery shopping continues to grow in popularity with our customers, and partnering with Uber Eats means we have even more flexibility to be there for them whenever they need us.”
Initially, the partnership will focus on five Waitrose locations in London: John Barnes in Finchley Road, West Hampstead, Clerkenwell, St Katharine Docks, and Greenwich. However, the plan is to expand the service to cover a broader geographic area and serve more customers.
Uber Eats has witnessed a significant surge in supermarket bookings, with a 60% increase in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period last year. Alex Troughton, Head of Commerce at Uber Eats UK, expressed delight over the partnership with Waitrose, highlighting the combination of technology, convenience, speed, and high-quality products. Troughton sees this collaboration as a significant step in Uber Eats’ mission to provide customers with a seamless shopping experience, allowing them to get anything they want at the touch of a button.
The integration of Waitrose into the Uber Eats platform represents the growing trend of digital transformation in the grocery sector. By leveraging the capabilities of Uber Eats’ technology and logistics infrastructure, Waitrose aims to meet the evolving demands of consumers for quick and convenient grocery delivery.
As the partnership expands across the UK, it is expected to enhance the accessibility of Waitrose products and reinforce the supermarket’s position as a provider of premium-quality groceries. The collaboration also strengthens Uber Eats’ position as a leading player in the on-demand delivery space, catering to the evolving needs and preferences of customers in the digital age.
