(Bloomberg) — Deliveroo Plc is partnering with upmarket grocer Waitrose to deliver groceries such as organic hummus, fresh sourdough bread and Belgian butter waffles, in as little as 10 minutes.
The two companies have soft-launched in the southern London neighborhood of Bermondsey, cutting the time it will take customers to receive free-range pork sausages, eucalyptus candles and other goods in half.
Waitrose and Deliveroo announced a two-year partnership last year to make deliveries in about 20 minutes from 150 of the grocer’s stores across the U.K.
The Bermondsey trial builds on Deliveroo’s “hop” offering, which it launched with Waitrose rival Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc in September, using a network of small urban fulfillment centers.
“It’s important that we continue to evolve along with shopping behavior,” James Bailey, Waitrose executive director, said in a statement. He described the 10-minute service as a trial, but one built on the current “successful partnership” with Deliveroo.
The service will be available from 8 a.m. to midnight and offers more than 1,000 Waitrose lines on the Deliveroo app, according to the statement.
When Bloomberg News tested the service Thursday, an order of Scottish oak smoked salmon and orange juice arrived from Waitrose in about eight minutes.
It’s the latest development by established firms to embrace the new business of rapid grocery delivery, a sector which has netted billions in investment and produced several startups.
For Deliveroo, on-demand grocery is an area of growth — with the segment gaining to represent 8% of gross transaction value in the second half of last year, up from 7% in the first half.
Other rivals like Just Eat Takeaway.com NV are also entering partnerships to offer grocery delivery.
John Lewis Partnership Plc, the operator of Waitrose, is working to turn around its business after recording its first-ever annual loss in March. Waitrose’s like-for-like sales rose 4% in the first-half of 2021 compared to the previous year, largely driven by increased demand for online shopping.
(Updates with Waitrose comment from fifth paragraph.)
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