Waitrose is developing its first mobile apps for online grocery shopping.

The upmarket supermarket already has an iPhone app, launched in 2010 - but it is purely content-based, providing users with features such as a branch finder, a food and wine matching guide and exclusive recipes.

The retailer has now set to work on iPhone and Android apps that will allow customers to do their Waitrose shopping from their phones. The apps are currently in design and will be launched later in the year.

“Our research found there is strong demand from shoppers for transactional apps - they will make life easier for customers,” said a Waitrose spokeswoman.