Tesco expands reach for same-day grocery delivery

Tesco has announced the extension of its online delivery service which will allow customers from across the UK to order groceries for delivery on the same day.

Originally catering for London and the South East, 99% of customers across the UK will now be able to use the service, including those in Scotland, Cornwall and the Sheltand Islands.

Following its success in London and the South East since its launch in 2014, the service will now be available for customers from more than 300 stores across the UK.

As part of the same-day delivery service, items ordered before 1pm will be delivered to customers from 7pm onwards that evening with a small delivery charge.

Adrian Letts, managing director of Tesco Online, said the retailer saw the service “grow in popularity” since its London launch, and would now be extended nationwide.

“Customers tell us they like getting their shopping delivered quickly and conveniently, and with our same-day delivery service they can now order by lunch to get their shopping delivered for their evening meal,” he said.

Same-day delivery has becoming increasingly popular and not just for Tesco, which saw an 18% increase in demand for this service in the beginning of 2017, but for many retailers.

Online giants such as Amazon have been forcing retailers to re-think their approach to customer service for years, and the firm’s recent foray into the groceries market, Amazon Fresh, has put a pressure on supermarkets that was not as urgent before.

Tesco claimed to be the first retailer offering a same-day grocery delivery service across the UK at the same time as offering a click-and-collect service.

Same day click-and-collect was also extended to Tesco customers across the UK in early 2017, allowing consumers to order goods before 9am for pickup from more than 300 stores from 12pm onwards, after seeing a 20% increase in the number of customers using the service over the previous year.  

Many retailers are scrabbling to keep in customer’s good books by offering fast and consistent services, with Sainsbury’s scooping up Argos to increase its digital click-and-collect offering, and Morrisons partnering with Ocado to expand the reach of its online ordering service.

In many cases, putting pressure on the speed and volume of delivery means the supply chain is growing in importance. This is not only so that retailers are aware of all of their stock, but also so they can offer a good customer experience through order tracking and fulfilling the customer journey.

Many retailers are addressing these issues by collaborating with each other, or working with startups that can implement ideas quickly and integrate them with a retailer’s existing legacy.