Deliveroo has opened its first permanent physical store in the UK on New Oxford Street, WC1.
The food delivery company has launched a 2,410 sq ft grocery store, called Deliveroo Hop, in partnership with Morrisons.
Customers are able to place orders in-store through digital kiosks, via the Deliveroo app for store collection or for delivery within minutes to local residents, offices and other addresses via the company’s rider network. The store will trade from 8am to 11pm and will stock more than 1,750 Morrisons grocery items.
The company cited growing demand for rapid grocery and food delivery services. According to findings from Stack Data Strategy, commissioned by Deliveroo, more than a third of people (35%) decide what they are having for dinner on the day. Of those, 29% will buy at least some of the ingredients on the day.
On average, 40% of shoppers said they were buying groceries once every two to three days. Younger people championed convenience, with 42% of 18-34-year-olds ranking it as the number one determining factor when purchasing groceries, while 38% ranked price as most important.
In the capital, almost a quarter (24%) of Londoners now use rapid grocery services once a week to get their groceries.
In a boost for neighbouring businesses, 61% said they were likely to visit other nearby shops while shopping for groceries.
Eric French, chief operating officer of Deliveroo, said: “Our New Oxford Street store promises a new way to shop for Deliveroo customers, giving them even greater flexibility and choice and should help boost the local area with nearly two-thirds of shoppers saying they will visit other nearby shops as they come to shop with Deliveroo.”
Hannah Horsfall, head of wholesale at Morrisons, said: “The launch of Deliveroo Hop’s first bricks-and-mortar store represents another key moment in our partnership. The store will not only offer customers a wide choice of groceries from Morrisons but also a variety of ways to shop for them.”
Debbie Akehurst, chief executive of the Central District Alliance, said: “With the area now seeing a growth in people returning to work, and many more visitors since the opening of the new Elizabeth Line, it’s great to see a company like Deliveroo investing in the central district.”
Helen Dickinson, chief executive at the British Retail Consortium, said: “We are increasingly seeing the lines between digital and physical retail blurring, and this announcement is an innovative example of investing to meet the diverse needs and preferences of customers. With challenges ahead for consumers, retailers are now working harder than ever to deliver convenience and affordability for everyone.”
Deliveroo Hop launched in September 2021 and now operates across 16 sites in the UK, France, Italy, Hong Kong and the UAE.
The company has also partnered with Supermarket of Dreams in Holland Park, W11, and Auchan in Lille and Paris to provide a “Hop-as-a-service” concept, where Deliveroo provides operating expertise, inventory management and picking technology to grocery partners to enable them to offer rapid delivery from their existing stores.
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