Waitrose to create up to 400 jobs through expanded Deliveroo service

Waitrose has announced that it is to create up to 400 jobs through the expansion of its Deliveroo service to 110 new shops across the UK.

The move means the service will be operating in 150 Waitrose shops by the end of the summer and will take the number of people who are able to access Waitrose food on Deliveroo to around 13 million. It also forms part of Deliveroo’s UK expansion strategy as the company looks to attract new consumers, restaurants, grocers and riders throughout 2021.

Deliveroo customers will be able to order from an increased range of between 750 to 1,000 products and have their groceries delivered in as little as 20 minutes from Waitrose shops in Scotland, the North West, North East, Midlands, South West, South East and London. New locations on Deliveroo will include shops in Cheltenham, Lincoln, Exeter, York and Sheffield.

The expansion follows a five store trial between Waitrose and Deliveroo which started in September last year. The service is currently available from 40 shops. Waitrose said sales via the service have been strong and has helped it to attract new and younger customers.

James Bailey, executive director for Waitrose, said: “We have grown our online business at pace in the last year, responding to huge demand for online groceries and offering more choice in when and how people want to shop with us. We know convenience is key for many of our customers and the expansion of the service with Deliveroo will play an integral role in helping us make Waitrose food more convenient than ever before.”