Waitrose has today announced it will offer a record number of Waitrose.com delivery slots this Christmas, to help households across the UK get everything they need for a seamless festive celebration.
To support the high demand from organised shoppers preparing to mark the occasion, more than 10,000 extra delivery slots will become available this year for December 20th–24th.
It marks a major increase in festive delivery capacity compared to previous years, ensuring more customers than ever can secure their preferred delivery window in the lead-up to Christmas Day.
It gives the supermarket the opportunity to build on a positive first half of the year. Waitrose recently reported that its online sales had grown by 11% in the first six months of the year with improving customer satisfaction scores, as it continues to invest in online as well as its stores.
Customers will be able to choose from flexible delivery dates spanning the core festive week, giving them hassle-free access to Waitrose’s award-winning food, seasonal showstoppers, and everyday grocery essentials.
Customers can log on to Waitrose.com or use the Waitrose app from midnight tonight (Wednesday 30 September) to secure their delivery slot.
It may only be September, but Waitrose shoppers are signalling they are ready to celebrate with searches for festive food on Waitrose.com soaring over the past month. Searches for “Christmas Cake Kit” (+540%), “Christmas Chocolate” (+270%) and “Christmas Cake” (+83%) are all up significantly compared to last year.
Laura Burbedge, director of online for Waitrose, said: “We know how important Christmas is to our food-loving customers, and getting their festive food shop booked early brings real peace of mind. By releasing a record number of delivery slots this year, we’re making it easier than ever for households to access our fantastic Christmas range – delivered straight to their doors when they need it most.”
To help shoppers plan ahead, Waitrose is encouraging them to book early on Waitrose.com, as popular peak delivery times close to Christmas Eve are expected to be booked quickly.
Waitrose was named best online retailer in The Grocer’s latest mystery shopper reviewing the online experience at different supermarkets with Waitrose scoring particularly high for availability, customer experience and delivery.
