Waitrose has permanently extended its rapid grocery delivery hours at 35 stores across the UK, with most branches now delivering until midnight and some offering a full 24-hour service.
Extended Delivery Windows
Most participating branches will complete orders until midnight, while selected high-demand locations will provide deliveries around the clock. Shoppers can request fresh ingredients, ready meals, snacks, and household essentials via Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat.
Orders can be delivered in as little as 20 minutes, though availability and delivery times will vary depending on the customer's location and selected platform.
Trial Success Leads to Permanent Change
The permanent extension follows a temporary trial launched during the FIFA World Cup. Waitrose expanded delivery hours at more than 50 stores across England and Scotland for four weeks from June 23. Most participating locations delivered until midnight, while some provided a round-the-clock service to accommodate matches starting late at night or early in the morning due to the time difference with North America.
Waitrose said orders surged by 17% during England's match against Croatia and ahead of Scotland's game against Morocco. The retailer revealed that shoppers kept placing orders during the extra hours even once the football fixtures had concluded. It has now chosen to maintain the prolonged delivery slots at 35 branches.
Service Details and Availability
The alteration only affects rapid deliveries made via the three partner apps and does not mean the physical supermarkets will stay open later. Alcohol will also not be available for delivery beyond each shop's normal licensed trading hours.
Customers can verify whether their closest participating store is included by looking up Waitrose on the Deliveroo, Uber Eats, or Just Eat platforms. The swift service provides thousands of Waitrose and branded items, covering fresh produce, vegetables, meat, milk, prepared meals, personal care products, and household cleaning necessities.
Laura Burbedge, director of online at Waitrose, said: "The World Cup proved that our food-loving customers value the flexibility of shopping at Waitrose whenever they need us. By extending our delivery windows, we're making it even more convenient to access the delicious, high-quality food our customers love."
The chain runs approximately 320 outlets and has kept broadening its footprint across third-party delivery services as appetite for quick grocery deliveries increases. Patrons visiting the participating outlets in person will still be required to shop during their standard published trading times.
