Boots links with Deliveroo for fast delivery trial

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Aug 24, 2021

Boots is upping its home delivery credentials. The UK health & beauty retail giant has signed an agreement with Deliveroo and its takeaway app to offer around 400 items in pilot programme from 14 stores in 11 city centres. These will include London, Birmingham, Nottingham and Edinburgh.

The app, best known for ordering fast-food takeaways, is adding health & beauty products to its offer, including lipsticks, mascara and skincare, hoping consumers will widen takeaway habits honed during repeated lockdowns.

Deliveroo said it would be able to deliver items in as little as 20 minutes, compared to the next-day online ordering Boots currently offers.

Boots also said it would sell and deliver medicines for “minor ailments”, such as hayfever and pain, as well as toiletries and baby items such as nappies and milk formula. Snacks and essentials such as plasters and hand sanitiser will also be available.

Paula Bobbett, the director of Boots UK’s website, said it was mostly targeting customers staying at home because they felt unwell or were looking after children.

The timely agreement also comes as Boots' online offer continues to grow. It said digital sales had jumped by 85% in the past year.

Deliveroo's app has 3.9m monthly users in the UK and the company's banking on expansion into new areas should demand for takeaway meals decline as workers return to the office and go out more.

Other towns and cities included in the initial trial are Brighton, Cambridge, Croydon, Leeds, Liverpool, Milton Keynes, Newcastle and Southampton. More of Boots 2,336 stores could be added if the trial proves successful.