Waitrose has revealed it is extending its on-demand grocery delivery hours across the next four weeks of the World Cup to keep football fans stocked up throughout the night. The retailer announced on Tuesday that it has launched an expanded delivery window to meet customer demand following late-night and early morning fixtures.
While precise times differ depending on location, most participating shops will now operate until midnight, with some running around the clock. The extended service will be available from more than 50 Waitrose stores nationwide, spanning England and Scotland, "ensuring customers can access quality fresh food and snacks throughout the night from snacks and pizzas to full breakfast ingredients for the following morning", Waitrose said.
The supermarket revealed that orders placed during England's opening match against Croatia last Wednesday and ahead of Scotland's fixture against Morocco on Friday evening surged by 17%. Searches on Waitrose.com have also rocketed, with 'No.
1 pizza' up 1,700%, 'deli and dips' up 156%, 'football cake' up 210% and 'World cup crisps' up 1,400%.
The retailer confirmed it intends to roll out the expanded service to further locations should it prove a hit with shoppers. Delivery slots will be accessible through Waitrose's partnerships with platforms Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat.
Waitrose branches will not be extending their in-store trading hours and alcoholic beverages will not be available during the extended delivery period.
Laura Burbedge, director of online for Waitrose, said: "Whether you're glued to the screen for a midnight thriller, need a snack to sustain you through a penalty shoot-out or up with the lark for a pre-dawn kick-off, footy fans will have everything they need at hand.
"We're making sure that whether you need a half-time pizza or a full breakfast spread to celebrate the final whistle, our delivery partners are on hand to keep your fridge stocked throughout the tournament."
