ao.com has launched same-day deliveries of its kitchen appliances.
From today customers taking delivery in one of the postcode areas covered by the service – which, says ao.com, is available to 75% of the most densely-populated postcodes in the UK – and buying one of the more than 3,100 products covered by the service, from washing machines to fridge freezers and small electricals, will be able to receive their morning order later the same day.
For a cost of £29.99, customers ordering before midday will be able to take delivery of their item between 4.30pm and 10pm every day except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. ao.com says it will also introduce evening time slots in the future, as well as a next-day, seven day a week, delivery option for the whole of the UK. Orders placed by midnight will cost £9.99 to deliver the next day.
The service is made possible through a network of 10 outbases across the UK that are serviced from its main distribution centre, a 360,000sq ft warehouse in Crewe.
A national TV campaign promoting the service will launch on Friday October 11.
John Roberts, chief executive of ao.com, said: “At ao.com, we are passionate about customer service which is at the heart of everything we do. Our success is built upon providing levels of customer service which are unrivalled and today we have launched a revolution in customer service for white goods. To commit to our customers that we can deliver same day is an enormous achievement.
“We like to push the boundaries at ao.com, redefining retailing by providing a better way which we believe our customers deserve. It is the bedrock of our achievements to date.”
Roberts founded ao.com, previously Appliances Online, in 2000. Today it stocks more than 4,000 kitchen appliances and delivers more some 20,000 appliances each week.
Our view: ao.com is making a fanfare of this new service, as well it might. Same-day delivery is the end that forward-thinking retailers are now working towards. Just last week we reported on Amazon’s move towards the same end, but ao.com is there already, and not just with small items but with sizeable products such as washing machines and fridge freezers. Of course, the proof will be in the service delivered, but this is an interesting development for the industry and one to be applauded.
