UK grocers are increasing their channels for getting deliveries to customers, with Morrisons expanding its same-day grocery offering via Amazon Prime while Asda has launched a grocery box.
Morrisons operates its own store on Amazon Prime, allowing it to offer same-day grocery delivery. In March, the service operated from 17 Morrisons stores in eight UK cities.
By the end of May it will expand to over 40 stores, covering the largest cities. This includes over 90% of Greater London postcodes and other major cities such as Edinburgh, Cardiff and Bristol.
As the last of the four leading UK supermarkets to launch online, Morrisons has rapidly scaled its online presence during the COVID-19 pandemic.
David Potts, Morrisons CEO said: “Expanding this fast home delivery service to more cities will help us to play our full part in feeding the nation. Through our conveniently located stores and the popular Amazon Prime Now service, more and more customers will be able to access deliveries to their doorstep at this very difficult time.”
Doug Gurr, Amazon UK country manager said: “We are pleased to be able to support more customers through the expansion of Morrisons on Prime Now. The convenient service enables us to offer Morrisons high quality grocery selection to even more Prime members.”
Meanwhile, rival Asda has launched a food box filled with essentials. Like Morrisons’ box, it is priced at £30 and features a range of cupboard staples.
The delivery is made by a third party, meaning that it does not place an additional strain on Asda’s own fleet. Asda said a courier such as DPD would deliver the box, suggesting it is working with several different providers on delivery.
Mike Snell, managing director of Asda’s sourcing and procurement arm, IPL, comments: “For vulnerable people across the country, staying at home and not being able to make a trip to the supermarket is a difficult prospect.
“At Asda, we’re committed to helping ease the strain on our customers during this time and hope that by offering our food box at an affordable price, we can help to make lives that little bit easier, giving people peace of mind that their cupboards will be well stocked without the stress.”
