Co-op strikes deal with Just Eat on online home delivery

Co-op has become the second major retail chain in the UK to partner directly with Just Eat Takeaway on online home delivery services, hoping to provide further convenience to its customers. The announcement on Friday will help expand Co-op’s reach and footprint as it looks to compete more strongly with its rivals. ASDA already has […]
Future-proofing Last Mile Delivery for the European economy

Pandemic-driven e-commerce sales have surged across Europe, and this momentum has sustained sales despite ongoing economic challenges. New services with new models entered the market and expanded quickly, changing the expectations that even longtime online shoppers have about what is now possible. Consumers in Western Europe who spent 561 euros online per capita in 2019, […]
Tesco makes further inroads on emissions with electric-powered trucks in London

British retailer Tesco has begun removing carbon emissions on some of its deliveries in London, becoming the first in the industry to distribute food via an electric-powered lorry. Tesco’s new gas-free vehicle made by Renault Trucks is the first of many on the way that will be delivering food to city centres, including 400 supermarkets […]
Waitrose launches trial with Deliveroo’s Hop for quicker home delivery

Waitrose will be introducing fast delivery service Deliveroo Hop in some of its stores during a trial beginning later this month. The retailer already has a shared partnership with Deliveroo that began in September and does feature on-demand grocery service but could halve the time to get items to customers, arriving in as little as […]
Waitrose partners with recipe box service on fresh meal delivery

Waitrose has launched what is believed to be the first UK supermarket partnership with a recipe box service in the UK, agreeing to a 12-week trial of the highly popular brand Mindful Chef. The health-driven, consumer-focused initiative, borne out of demand for those looking for better meal options to cook from home, began on Wednesday […]
UK retail food and grocery market growth to slow sharply

In its annual retail food and grocery market forecast, IGD predicts that the growth in 2020 will slow this year and the next, as shoppers economize and the foodservice industry reclaims sales. The unprecedented 8.5% growth last year is predicted to drop to 1.7% in 2021 and then to 0.9% in 2022. This sharp decline […]
Deeper issues at heart of driver shortage as crisis sets to intensify

The disruption highlights longstanding recruitment difficulties plus food pricing concerns, and may worsen as consumer demand rises this summer. Real solutions are needed to resolve the current shortage of delivery drivers in the UK. That is the consensus of representatives from the fresh produce supply chain, who point out that this crisis has long been […]
Technology From Ocado, Others Drives Direct-to-Home Retail Deliveries, But Toronto’s Terminal Market Helps Independents Stay Competitive

Originally printed in the April 2021 issue of Produce Business. The Toronto marketplace is changing but what remains the same is the importance of fresh food and produce in particular at a time when health and wellbeing are of greater concern than ever. Under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, retailers of all dimensions, including the […]