That’s not very long to Wait-rose

30-minute food delivery vow in battle with M&S

Waitrose is to offer food and drink deliveries in 30 minutes as it steps up its battle with Marks & spencer and ocado.

the upmarket chain has signed a deal with Deliveroo that will see fast- track deliveries to more than 500,000 customers.

the trial will start on tuesday – the day that M&s goods replace Waitrose goods at online giant ocado. after almost two decades as partners, ocado has ditched Waitrose and will start selling M&s produce on its booming website on september 1.

the move has pitted Waitrose and M&s against each other in a battle for middle-class shoppers.

M&s has already pledged to cut prices to win over families keeping an eye on their finances, and hopes to woo women customers with a range of ten sparkling rose wines.

But in a sign that Waitrose is fighting back, the supermarket chain has struck a last-minute deal with Deliveroo.

Waitrose, part of the John Lewis Partnership, said customers could expect items delivered to their home within as little as half an hour if they live in one of the areas covered by the trial.

More than 500 items – including ready meals, fruit, vegetables, meat, milk, snacks, cleaning essentials and beer and wine – will be available to be picked up by Deliveroo drivers and delivered to doors for the 12-week trial period.

the trial will be available at Waitrose shops in Bracknell in Berkshire and Clifton in Bristol from september 1, and from september 3 in surbiton, Fitzroy street in Cambridge and Notting Hill in West London.

if successful, the companies will extend the delivery after the trial, they said. James Bailey, the executive director of Waitrose, said: ‘this gives us another opportunity to give our customers a taste of what the future of convenience shopping could look like for us.’ Waitrose already offers home delivery through its website, and two-hour home delivery itself.

Demand for online deliveries exploded during lockdown as people were advised to stay at home apart from for essential journeys. Many chose to order in food rather than go to the supermarket.

as a result, Waitrose has expanded from offering 60,000 delivery slots a week before the pandemic to 160,000 today, and has plans to add another 90,000.

Deliveroo vice president ajay Lakhani said: ‘Deliveroo’s ondemand grocery services have proven vital for so many people during this difficult period.

‘We are excited about working with such a brilliant British brand, bringing people the food they need and want, on demand.’

this is a crucial time for the John Lewis Partnership as boss Dame sharon White seeks to reinvent the department store and reverse a trend of declining profits.

M&s, meanwhile, is battling with a floundering clothing and home division, where 7,000 staff lost their jobs earlier this month.

‘What the future could look like’