Why Tesco is finally marrying up with Uber Eats and Deliveroo

Unlike its major supermarket rivals, Tesco has for years resisted appearing on aggregator apps, instead channelling customers seeking rapid delivery to its own Whoosh quick commerce service within the main Tesco app.

Last week, it switched up its strategy, announcing it was launching on Uber Eats and Deliveroo this summer.

So why the change? What does Tesco stand to gain? And what does it tell us about the future of rapid delivery?

Many had praised Tesco for avoiding the aggregators and giving away the customer relationship, data and hefty commission on sales to third-party platforms. Indeed, many of its peers had begun to prioritise and launch their own Whoosh-like, in-house offerings, reducing reliance on Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat.

But its seeming stubbornness meant Tesco was “losing customers to Sainsbury’s, Co-op and Waitrose via Uber and Deliveroo, by not being on those platforms”, says Gregor Murray of Digital Commerce Global.

Retail expert Howard Lake agrees: “Shoppers needed to make a conscious decision to shop with Tesco to use that service. They had to open up the Tesco app or site and explicitly select the Whoosh function. That’s a whole lot of faffing about if someone’s simply run out of tonic and nibbles while hosting an evening gathering.”

Whoosh continues to grow to the tune of 51% year on year, according to the supermarket’s latest results, with sales exceeding £400m. But compare that to Sainsbury’s. As well as its own rapid Chop Chop service, it has listed stores on Deliveroo and Uber Eats since 2020, and Just Eat since 2023 (see table, below). Last month it reported on-demand sales had risen by 69% since last year, with sales of upwards of £700m.

Tesco is “realising it needs to be where consumers are searching”, says Lake. “It may mean surrendering a portion of its quick commerce returns, but those losses are more than outweighed by the uptick in shoppers it brings to the offer.”

While “not completely” a u-turn, Murray says the move “is a realisation that even the Tesco name isn’t enough to get customers to change their behaviour and switch from a platform they are using for other aspects of their life”.

It also taps a huge cohort of Uber and Deliveroo users that would be unlikely to ever use Whoosh, Murray adds.

Earlier this month, rapid grocery delivery hit its highest share of online grocery sales for the year so far, at 14%, according to the latest NIQ data. And IGD research shows quick commerce usage has increased from 19% of shoppers in November 2024 to 22% in March 2026.

For a growing proportion of shoppers, particularly younger ones, the “aggregator is becoming the storefront”, Murray says.

Some 41% of quick commerce shoppers begin with the aggregator app they want to use, rising to 50% among 18 to 24-year-olds and 53% among 25 to 34-year-olds. Only 28% begin by seeking out a particular retailer.

“When you look closer at how fast fulfilment is becoming much more about meeting demand than volume growth, the thing that actually surprises about Tesco’s move is that it took so long,” says Lake.

“Perhaps it was a bit carried away by how well Whoosh has performed, but it’s clear Tesco wasted little time moving once it realised how the wind was changing,” he adds.

Tom Zegers, group head of digital commerce at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, says the move is “strategically important” because “consumers no longer think in channels”.

“They do not wake up and decide: ‘today I will shop via e-commerce’ or ‘today I will visit a supermarket’.” Rather they simply reach for what will “solve their need in the fastest, easiest and most relevant way”.

“Tesco is not replacing its own channels. It is expanding its presence into the ecosystems where consumers are already spending time,” Zegers adds.

Though it may look like a pivot, the move also aligns with one of Tesco’s over-arching strategies: “We want to make the shopping experience as convenient as possible.”

The Clubcard connection

Undoubtedly helping sway Tesco’s decision is the aggregators’ ability to integrate with Clubcard. Co-op and Uber Eats were first to bring member perks and prices to the apps in 2024, and other supermarkets have followed suit with Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat.

Announcing the partnerships, Tesco UK CEO Ashwin Prasad said it was “extending the benefits of Clubcard to millions more customers”.

The presence of Clubcard “sustains the connection back to Tesco even if it’s being used via a non-proprietary portal”, Lake says.

“Clubcard can now travel across platforms,” adds Murray. “Allowing customers to use their Clubcard via Uber and Deliveroo may well be what changed Tesco’s minds.”

Earlier this month, Tesco launched a major advertising campaign – ‘Serious Delivery’ – for Tesco Whoosh, while Clubcard saw a similar push in March. But the aggregators boast “huge audiences” that are already “on a buying mission”, says Snappy Shopper VP Greg Deacon. Being on them is “smart marketing”, which is far “cheaper than other forms of print, digital, TV advertising”.

The popularity of Tesco is also a huge win for Uber Eats and Deliveroo, which will likely promote its presence.

IGD’s latest UK grocery channel forecasts predict online will be the fastest-growing grocery channel between 2026 and 2031, with a compound annual growth rate of 5.6%, generating £8.7bn of additional sales. Quick commerce is predicted to be the fastest growing, with a CAGR of 10.7%, reaching £5.5bn by 2031 and accounting for 15% of online grocery sales.

With its new place on the apps, Tesco stands to secure an even bigger chunk of that.

“Since grocery e-commerce became a thing, big supermarkets have sought to hold shoppers within their particular retail moat,” says Lake.

“But gradually there’s a shift in focus that calls for being wherever purchasing intent originates. Retailers can retain control over price, inventory, fulfilment and loyalty, but ownership of the front door is no longer an absolute. It feels like a change is coming and Tesco, as is its wont, is determined to be best positioned for it.”