Asda rolls out one-hour home delivery service across 96 stores
Asda said this morning it is planning to extend its one-hour express delivery service to 96 stores following a successful trial over the summer.
The service gives customers access to Asda’s full online range of more than 30,000 grocery products for delivery within the hour if they live within a three-mile radius of a store in the scheme and order up to 70 items.
But the cost for each delivery will be £8.50 regardless of how many items are ordered.
A trial in stores in Halifax, Poole, Rotherham and St Matthews, Walsall in June exceeded bosses’ expectations, with the number of initial orders higher than predicted.
The supermarket also recently extended its partnership with Uber Eats to more than 300 stores, although the number of products available is far smaller.
If the latest stage of the rollout is successful, bosses hope to expand it further.
Simon Gregg, Asda’s vice president of online grocery, said: “We are rolling out our express delivery service to almost 100 stores after a trial showed there was a clear gap in the market for a speedy delivery service offering our full online product range for delivery within one hour.
“As the only grocer to offer this service, we have seen a significant number of customers access this option, with slots regularly selling out at our pilot stores.”
He also pointed out that Asda recently announced a partnership with the tech firm Wayve to test driverless vans.
Rivals including Morrisons, Tesco and Sainsbury’s already offer one-hour – or faster – delivery services through Deliveroo, Uber Eats, Amazon and other providers – although none offer a full range of products.
Across the sector
Most UK supermarkets are looking into ways in which they can get groceries to customers more quickly.
Tesco, which had previously not offered a rapid delivery service, launched its own trial, called Whoosh, in Wolverhampton and has plans to expand it.
Sainsbury’s also operates its own service, called Chop Chop, which it expanded to 50 stores in 20 cities last year.
Waitrose announced plans to shut down its own rapid delivery service, which it launched in 2018, saying it would instead focus on expanding its partnership with Deliveroo.
Morrisons offers same-day rapid deliveries as part of its tie-up with Amazon, which also offers customers its own Amazon Fresh products.
Other delivery firms in the grocery market include Gorillas, Getir and Fink, which have all raised significant sums of money from investors looking to cash in on the growing industry.
The full list of Asda stores offering the service:
Halifax
Rotherham
Thornaby
St Matthews (Walsall)
Poole
Sheffield Drakehouse
Castlepoint Supercentre
Leicester
Middlesbrough
Crawley
Accrington
Caerphilly
Dunfermline
Abbey Park
Keighley
Hull Bilton
Portadown
Straiton
Huddersfield
Barry
Doncaster
Havant Supercentre
Boldon Supercentre
Oadby
Crewe
Leicester Abbey Road
Hartlepool
Chesser
Leith
Wolverhampton
Lower Earley
Horwich
Ferring
Bournemouth
Small Heath
Sheffield Supercentre
Cambridge
Cumbernauld
Gosport
Gateshead Supercentre
Cardiff Bay
Waterlooville Supercentre
Queslett
Blyth
Swansea
Portlethen
Corby
Washington
Tunstall
Tipton
Sunderland
Fareham
Benton
Cardiff Supercentre
Dumbarton
Wisbech
Antrim
Coventry Supercentre
Rawtenstall
Southampton
Bishop Auckland
Aberdare
Far Cotton
Newport
Nuneaton
Brierley Hill
Bloxwich
Eastleigh Supercentre
Pentwyn
Redditch
Boston
Chaucer Road Sheffield
Stockton
Kirkcaldy
Kingswood
Queensferry Supercentre
Fleetwood
Gosforth
Great Bridge Supercentre
Thurmaston
Dudley
Minworth Supercentre
Chelmsley Wood
South Shields
Wolstanton
Hull Hessle Road
Bridge of Dee Supercentre
Sinfin
Old Kent Road
Isle of Dogs
Bristol Whitchurch
Longwell Green
Patchway
Bristol Filton
Bedminster
Morley