At the peak of the pandemic, supermarkets scrambled to establish a presence on the aggregator apps. The unlikely alliance worked both ways. Supermarkets were able to reach customers who were unable to secure an online delivery slot and wary of visiting stores in person. Aggregators welcomed the chance to replace lost business from hot food takeaways, many of which were temporarily shuttered.

That symbiotic relationship has blossomed in the years since. The apps have given supermarkets access to huge, younger-leaning user bases with the offer of deliveries in less than an hour. The supermarkets have gifted the apps huge volumes of sales – from which they take a commission – and reliable growth.

Most supermarkets are now available on all the major food delivery apps. But something’s changed. Despite supermarkets starting the love-in, their eye is wandering towards their own, retailer-run and branded rapid delivery services, which aren’t reliant on aggregators.