Co-op is ramping up its online delivery service across Wales and the English border in a partnership with Zoom 1hr Delivery.
The Zoom service – not to be confused with Ocado’s rapid delivery service of the same name – is going live in more than 50 towns this month.
Orders are made through Co-op’s own online shop – coop.co.uk/shop – which was launched in March last year. Customers can choose from about 4,500 products, and once a basket has been ordered can track its progress in real time.
Orders are picked by Co-op staff at the 50 stores – which act as micro-distribution hubs – and picked up by Zoom couriers for delivery in as little as an hour to customers within a four-kilometre radius. Alternatively, delivery slots can be booked up to seven days in advance.
The move makes “thousands more” online slots available, Co-op said. Close to 40 Co-op stores will be offering the Zoom service in Wales, including those in: Anglesey; Bala; Barmouth; Builth Wells; Cardiff; Dolgellau; Fishguard; Lampeter; Llandudno; Llanrwst; Old Colwyn, Pensarn; Pontypridd; Porthcawl; Prestatyn; Rhyl; Ruthin; Swansea; Tywyn and Wrexham.
The stores in English towns include: Bridgnorth; Hereford; Ledbury; Leominster; Market Drayton; Oswestry; Wirral; Shifnal; Telford; Wolverhampton and Worcester.
The service is expected to cover 250 stores across the UK next year.
“These are challenging times, and more people have turned to placing orders online for quick, safe, convenient deliveries,” said Zoom 1hr Delivery founder and MD Kevin Williams. “Our experience over the last four years has seen us perfect the delivery service model in rural areas, and we believe this is a great fit with Co-op’s work to support its communities and to further grow home delivery capabilities to meet consumer needs and demand – we can’t wait to safely deliver Co-op products to its members and customers.”
The partnership comes weeks after Co-op announced a partnership with same-day courier firm Gophr to offer deliveries from more than 50 stores in towns and cities across Scotland.
A growing number of Co-ops nationwide now offer rapid delivery of online orders – which are variously fulfilled by Co-op’s own fleet of drivers; delivery partners like Gophr and Stuart; or via third-party platforms like Deliveroo, Buymie and Pinga; or robot delivery service Starship. The Co-op is the most widely available supermarket on the Deliveroo app, with more than 400 stores listed.
The Co-op said it was on track to offer delivery from more than 650 stores across the UK by the end of the year. Co-op products are currently available online in over 200 towns and cities.
“We continue to look for new ways to innovate and expand access to our products and services to deliver a truly compelling offer for consumers,” said Matt Arrigonie, Co-op’s online operations manager. “By collaborating with partners we can offer further availability, flexibility and choice to meet community shopping needs for on-demand convenience.
“Offering quality and value quickly, easily and conveniently is core to Co-op’s approach – delivering what our members and customers want, when and where they need it,” he added.
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