Waitrose invests £10m in website revamp
Waitrose Deliver, the supermarket’s home delivery website, is being rebranded as Waitrose.com as part of a £10m revamp.
The new site launches mid-March as part of Waitrose’s bid to rapidly expand its online sales business over the next decade.
The new site aims to make it quicker and easier for customers to order groceries and offers new services such as click-and-collect and Waitrose Entertaining, where consumers can order food and accessories for special occasions.
Until last year, Waitrose was prevented from delivering shopping to homes inside the M25 as part of a supply agreement with Ocado. A 10-year deal agreed last May allows Waitrose to roll out its delivery service into London from the summer.
Waitrose managing director Mark Price says: “This investment in our online platform will dramatically enhance the customer experience so that shoppers receive the unrivalled standards of service and the personal touch they associate with our branches.”
Online shoppers will be able to make personal requests on the new website, such as specifying green bananas or thicker slices of meat from the delicatessen counters.
Waitrose is also extending the number of delivery slots at times when demand is high such as at the weekends.
Last week, the John Lewis Partnership, which owns Waitrose, opened its first wholly owned venture outside the UK with a store in Jersey. It is also expected to step up its export business by shipping its branded products to Canada and the US later this year.
