Half of consumers (51%) say that they find the idea of delivery of groceries in half an hour or less appealing, a figure that rises to 69% of those living in London, according to new research from TWC.
The figure is higher in London most likely because of the greater presence of rapid delivery tech start-ups such as Gorillas, Getir, GoPuff and Zapp as well as factors such as London having the highest proportion of workers, who are more likely to need rapid delivery solutions, it said.
According to the research awareness of the individual operators was highest for Getir and Gorillas at 17% (total GB). Within London, Gorillas was best known (46% awareness), followed by Getir at 41%.
The primary reasons consumers cited for using rapid delivery firms were that the shops are too far away (42% agreement); the shops are closed (35%); not having to wait long for delivery (35%); and bad weather preventing me from leaving the house (28%).
The research showed that those using such services typically spent more than £20 each time, with more than half spending more. This is more than twice a typical instore convenience basket, according to TWC.
Sarah Coleman, communications director at TWC, shared the findings at the recent Federation of Wholesale Distribution (FWD) conference. She said: “We are seeing really high levels of consumer interest in rapid delivery of grocery and there is strong evidence that these services attract a different consumer to traditional convenience stores, as well as driving bigger baskets.”
However, she warned that things might change. “These services boomed during the pandemic when demand was incredibly high, with many people isolating and lots of shops and services unable to open. Now the world is opening up again, plus the macro-economic climate is challenging, which means investors in rapid delivery and looking for sustainable, long-term business models and consequently we are seeing consolidation and scaling back of some operations.”
The TWC Trends Summer Edition 2022 series is based on the views and sentiments of over 1,000 consumers across the UK. The research was conducted 14-18 June 2022.
