The supermarket gave customers an update on Tuesday morning
Waitrose has announced it is extending on-demand grocery delivery hours over the next four weeks of the World Cup to support football fans throughout the night. To meet customer demand following late-night and early morning matches, the retailer has launched an expanded delivery window, it said on Tuesday.
While specific times vary by location, most participating shops will now operate until midnight, with some even operating 24/7. The expanded window will be available from more than 50 Waitrose stores nationwide, including England and Scotland, "ensuring customers can access quality fresh food and snacks throughout the night from snacks and pizzas to full breakfast ingredients for the following morning", Waitrose said.
It added that orders during England's first game against Croatia last Wednesday and ahead of Scotland's game against Morocco on Friday evening jumped by 17%. Waitrose.com has also seen a huge increase in searches for foods, including: 'No.1 pizza' up 1,700%, 'deli & dips' up 156%, 'football cake' up 210% and 'World cup crisps' up 1,400%.
England and Scotland
The retailer said it planned to roll out the expanded service to more locations if it proved popular with customers. The slots will be available through Waitrose's partnerships with delivery platforms Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat.
Waitrose opening hours during World Cup confirmed
Waitrose shops won't be extending trading hours and alcoholic drinks won't be available during the expanded delivery period.
Laura Burbedge, director of online for Waitrose, said: "Whether you're glued to the screen for a midnight thriller, need a snack to sustain you through a penalty shoot-out or up with the lark for a pre-dawn kick-off, footy fans will have everything they need at hand.
Eats and Just Eat
"We're making sure that whether you need a half-time pizza or a full breakfast spread to celebrate the final whistle, our delivery partners are on hand to keep your fridge stocked throughout the tournament."
ensuring customers can access quality fresh food and snacks throughout the night from snacks and pizzas to full breakfast ingredients for the following morning
The wider picture
Retail decisions rarely happen all at once. What looks like a sudden change of direction is usually the visible end of months of testing, costing and quiet negotiation behind the scenes.
Key takeaways
- Waitrose has announced it is extending on-demand grocery delivery hours over the next four weeks of the World Cup to support football fans throughout the night
- While specific times vary by location, most participating shops will now operate until midnight, with some even operating 24/7
- "We're making sure that whether you need a half-time pizza or a full breakfast spread to celebrate the final whistle, our delivery partners are on hand to keep your fridge stocked throughout the tournament."
The bottom line
None of this settles the wider question. It does make one thing harder to ignore: the pressure in the food industry has shifted, and others will have to respond to it.