Waitrose expands rapid grocery delivery to 24‑hour service at 35 UK stores

Waitrose has made permanent the extension of its rapid grocery delivery windows at 35 stores across the United Kingdom. Most participating branches will now fulfil orders until midnight, while a select few high‑demand locations will offer 24‑hour delivery through the third‑party platforms Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat. Orders can arrive in as little as 20 minutes, though availability depends on the customer’s location and chosen app.

The change follows a temporary trial introduced during the FIFA World Cup, when delivery hours were extended at more than 50 stores to accommodate late‑night and early‑morning matches. Waitrose reported a 17 % rise in orders during England’s match against Croatia and continued demand after the games ended, prompting the decision to retain the longer windows permanently. Alcohol will not be delivered beyond each shop’s normal licensed trading hours, and the physical supermarkets will not remain open later.

Laura Burbedge, director of online at Waitrose, said: “The World Cup proved that our food‑loving customers value the flexibility of shopping at Waitrose whenever they need us. By extending our delivery windows, we’re making it even more convenient to access the delicious, high‑quality food our customers love.”