Deliveroo takes to the high street with New Oxford Street store

Deliveroo has opened its first shop, meaning London commuters can order groceries in-store and walk away with them in minutes.

The outlet in New Oxford Street marks the delivery giant’s first foray into a bricks-and-mortar shop in the UK, having previously operated its rapid grocery delivery service, Deliveroo Hop, through the app.

Deliveroo has partnered with Morrisons to sell more than 1,750 of its items, including ready meals, fresh food from its The Best range, and cupboard staples.

Customers will be able to order groceries through digital kiosks in the store or on the Deliveroo app for collection, and a team will pick and pack the orders on-site.

The firm said this means people can skip the supermarket shop and walk away with their groceries in minutes.

Supermarkets have been keen to cash in on the demand for rapid delivery that grew during the pandemic, with many signing up to food delivery platforms like Deliveroo and Uber Eats.

Deliveroo – which has around 7,000 grocery sites in the UK and Ireland – partnered with supermarket giants like Waitrose and Sainsbury’s and pledges to deliver in as little as 20 minutes.

Eric French, chief operating officer of Deliveroo, said: “We are opening our doors and welcoming commuters, local residents, visitors and day-trippers into our first Deliveroo high-street grocery store in the UK.

“Our New Oxford Street store promises a new way to shop for Deliveroo customers, giving them even greater flexibility and choice, and should help boost the local area, with nearly two-thirds of shoppers saying they will visit other nearby shops as they come to shop with Deliveroo.”

The launch comes a month after Deliveroo revealed it was operating at a loss of £147 million in the first half of the year, after cash-strapped consumers cut back on takeaways.

Its half-year losses had widened significantly from the £95 million posted a year ago.

In another blow to the business, its non-executive director Lord Wolfson, chief executive of high street chain Next, said he had stepped down from its board 18 months after taking on the role.

Lord Wolfson said his role at Deliveroo was “no longer compatible with my executive and other commitments”.

But Deliveroo said it was making good progress in its profitability plan and planned to pull out of the Netherlands to shore up more cash.

Its new London store launched on Monday and will open from 8am to 11pm, as well as delivering to local residents and offices.