M&S Offers Food Delivery With Deliveroo
M&S has joined a boom in online food shopping as people turn to apps such as Deliveroo to get their groceries delivered. The retailer has partnered with Ocado to offer the service.
Trials have already begun at M&S’ Camden store, with deliveries within an hour. A service is also running in Reading, delivering groceries and items such as toilet roll.
What’s in the box?
With the country under lockdown, simple tasks like buying groceries have become increasingly difficult. With many supermarkets only offering delivery slots that fill up quickly and others stockpiling products, M&S has teamed up with Deliveroo to bring food home.
The service is available from 142 M&S stores, including three in Scotland, and will include 130 M&S foods, beverages and household items. This includes the retailer’s restaurant-style Gastropub meals, ready-prepared food and snacks, Percy Pig sweets, fresh produce and drinks like beer and wine.
The Deliveroo app will also offer a range of M&S essentials boxes that contain basic cupboard staples such as milk, bread and tinned goods. These are being delivered by gig economy couriers and will be free for customers. You can find the M&S Deliveroo service by searching ‘M&S’ in the app or going to your local store and selecting M&S as your shop of choice. You’ll be able to order until 8pm each night.
How long will it take?
It will depend on how big your order is and where you live. The average time for food delivery is about 30 minutes to an hour. However, it may take longer depending on how busy your area is.
The new service is available online and via mobile apps of Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat. Gig economy couriers are the ones responsible for the actual delivery. The service is expected to expand further in the coming months.
M&S has joined the growing list of retailers tapping into the online grocery delivery boom, with a new trial that will see shoppers get their Percy Pigs and lunch-time wraps delivered straight to their doors. The company has launched trials of its food service in Camden, north London and Woodley near Reading. It offers home delivery in one- and two-hour slots within three miles of the store. It is running alongside its existing collection-only services at those stores.
Is it worth it?
M&S has a curated range on Deliveroo, which includes fresh fruit and vegetables, frozen goods, meat and fish, pasta, bakery items, ready meals, sweets and biscuits, alcohol and household essentials like toilet roll. You can also get some of the retailer’s clothing on Deliveroo – you just need to know where to look.
The partnership is open to members of M&S’ Sparks loyalty scheme who spend at least PS10 and delivery is free. Some lines are capped at two per customer to avoid stockpiling, and there is limited availability of certain items.
Customers are already reporting that the service isn’t quite as good as they’d hope. For example, one shopper wrote: “Always wanted to try the M&S food delivery but I was very disappointed. The Hastings & East Sussex store was dirty and overflowing with rubbish on every surface, plus the tipped ice cream had turned green!!
Are there any hidden costs?
In the food delivery market, markups and fees are a commonplace. In fact, the same product can cost you a different amount depending on which app you use to place your order. For multifamily properties, these added costs can add up quickly. In addition to productivity costs, poor tenant experiences can damage a property’s reputation in a matter of hours. From Yelp reviews to viral TikTok videos, a bad food delivery experience can destroy a property’s reputation in the eyes of its tenants and future prospects.
To ensure that its supply chain is ready for the new demands of online shopping, M&S has partnered with RELEX to streamline forecasting and eliminate manual interventions. This will help the retailer to better manage stock, drive efficiencies and reduce waste. M&S also has a programme that provides its suppliers with advice, case studies and toolkits to support practical changes at their sites. This is in line with their goal to show leadership on sustainability.
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