FDBusiness.com

Waitrose & Partners has announces plans to treble the size of its successful online grocery operation to a £1 billion business over the next three years, working in partnership with Today Development Partners (TDP) . The move with TDP, which is headed by Jonathan Faiman and Mo Gawdat, will accelerate the development of Waitrose.com through a significant increase in capacity and automation and will see a rapid step change in Waitrose.com’s online and digital capabilities. Together, Waitrose.com and TDP plan to develop three state-of-the-art automated Customer Fulfilment Centres (CFCs) while harnessing cutting edge technical capabilities to deliver an outstanding online customer experience.

Rob Collins, managing director of Waitrose & Partners.

The Waitrose.com service is currently provided through a combination of from-branch deliveries, and through the Coulsdon Fulfilment Centre, opened in 2015 – as well as via a planned second CFC to serve the North London area.

Rob Collins, managing director of Waitrose & Partners, comments: “Waitrose.com is a popular and efficient home delivery service that is already growing strongly ahead of the market. The plans announced represent a clear commitment to achieve rapid step-change in Waitrose.com’s capacity and capability as we build a modern, well-invested digital business that is fit for the future.”

He adds:  “The development of our new Customer Fulfilment Centres will triple our delivery capacity, bringing our well-loved service and delicious food to more customers across the UK and setting Waitrose.com on the path to becoming a £1 billion turnover business.”

Waitrose.com delivery service was launched in 2000 and is growing at nearly five times the market.
Online grocery market growth is 3.2% (Kantar data, 52 weeks to 27 Jan 2019).  Waitrose.com online grocery business grew by 14.2% in the same period. Around £80 million has been invested in Waitrose.com over the last five years.