Fortnum & Mason is the first retailer to offer its customers Sunday deliveries using Parcelforce Worldwide’s new service.
The Sunday delivery service launches this weekend, when Fortnum & Mason shoppers who order by 2pm on Saturday can buy goods to be delivered after 9am on Sunday. Fortnum’s says the new service is part of its history of offering a wide choice of delivery options. In the early 1900s, it used horse and cart for same-day deliveries.
“Our customers are busier than ever,” said Ewan Venters, chief executive of Fortnum & Mason, “and as such they need their shopping when it suits them. We know there’s a huge appetite for weekend deliveries as we already send out 500 packages every Saturday. We’re delighted our customers can now choose items in-store, online or over the phone on Saturday morning for delivery on Sunday. We’re expecting a rush on our wonderful selection of essentials for Sunday brunch, lunch and dinner.”
Gary Simpson, managing director of Parcelforce Worldwide, said Fortnum & Mason customers would have greater control over the delivery of items they’d ordered through the new service. “Parcelforce Worldwide has introduced Sunday deliveries to enable online retailers to provide their shoppers with improved flexibility and choice over the delivery of their items,” he said.
Parcelforce Worldwide is the express parcels arm of Royal Mail Group. Royal Mail itself is to trial a Sunday parcels delivery service later this summer to addresses within the M25, while it will also open around 100 of its most used delivery offices on Sunday afternoons to enable shoppers to pick up their parcels outside work hours.
Photo: Fortnum and Mason CEO Ewan Venters, left, with Parcelforce Worldwide’s managing director Gary Simpson.
