WH Smith has partnered with Deliveroo to offer a range of 600 products for delivery in as little as 20 minutes.
Some 600 WH Smith and branded products are available on the courier platform, including stationery, home office products and books.
The trial partnership launched today in Reading, and will be rolled out to a further nine stores next week covering Richmond, Muswell Hill, Chiswick, Brighton, Cambridge, Oxford, Leeds, St Albans and Guildford.
“We’re always exploring new ways to delight our customers both in store and online by providing them with an exceptional shopping experience,” said Sean Toal, MD, WH Smith High Street.
“We’re really excited to be partnering with Deliveroo for this trial which will complement our existing offer and enable our customers to receive the products they want and need from us as fast as possible from their local store direct to their door, whether that’s a greeting card, working from home essentials, a last-minute gift or a newly released book,” he added.
As well as stationery and home office essentials to tap the trend for home working, the range includes revision guides and exam practice workbooks, electronics accessories like Apple AirPods, power adapters and USB charging cables, bestselling books and an assortment of toys, arts & crafts and games.
“WH Smith is the UK’s leading stationery retailer and the top consumer choice for high-quality and popular products for the whole family,” said Carlo Mocci, chief business officer, UK&I at Deliveroo.
“This partnership will further increase the choice and selection of on-demand convenience products for our consumers, delivered in as little as 20 minutes, and will create more work for riders across the UK.”
WHSmith.co.uk already offers next-day click & collect and home delivery for online orders, but the Deliveroo partnership allows the retailer “to provide even greater speed to customers that need it” it said.
WH Smith is not the first major non-food retailer on Deliveroo. In August last year the platform partnered with Boots to offer a range of 400 products including medicines for minor ailments, beauty products, toiletries and skincare products and baby essentials, as well as an assortment of sandwiches, snacks and drinks.
It also works with Lloyds Pharmacy, with a small range of 50 medical essentials available on Deliveroo since 2020.
Other delivery platforms have explored offering non-food items. In February last year Uber Eats partnered with toy-maker Hasbro to launch a short-lived, dedicated games store. It was the first time Uber Eats listed a non-food standalone store.
No comments yet