Woolworths expands two-hour express delivery services

WOOLWORTHS has expanded a popular service in the hope of luring in new consumers. But the option doesn’t come cheap to shoppers.

EXCLUSIVE: TIME poor Australians are rushing to have their groceries delivered in new express services allowing their items to arrive in under two hours.

As competition among the supermarket gets fiercer, particularly ahead of Coles spinning off from Wesfarmers next month, express delivery services are the latest battleground to lure in new consumers.

Shoppers signing up to express services have used it to have their selected groceries sent to their office, business or home.

Supermarket giant Woolworths began offering express services in Sydney last year and its success has resulted in it being expanded across the country.

Customers can order up to 30 items from supermarkets offering the service within four kilometres of applicable stores.

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Customers needing help with their grocery shopping are turning to express services.

Customers have to pay a $19 delivery fee to have the items sent to their chosen destination. Woolworths’ general manager for digital innovation Faye Ilhan said it all comes down to busy customers needed a help to do the grocery shops.

“We’ve seen strong customer interest in our ultra-convenient, on-demand grocery delivery service in Sydney and we’re pleased to expand the pilot service to 15 stores across Melbourne,” she said.

“While our immediate focus is embedding a fast and reliable delivery service in Sydney and Melbourne we’ll continue to look closely at opportunities to roll it out in other cities.”

The service is available in Sydney to customers seven days a week between 9am and 7pm in locations including Alexandria, Bondi Junction, Dee Why, Marrickville and Mascot.

While in Melbourne the service is available in suburbs including Balwyn, Carnegie, Fitzroy, Middle Brighton and South Yarra.

Customers have to pay a delivery fee to have the items sent to their chosen destination. Picture: AAP

Woolworths said the average delivery time is 70 minutes and the peak order time is between 1pm and 2pm.

The Australian Retailers Association executive director, Russell Zimmerman, said express delivery services can help time poor Australians juggle work and home life.

“Anybody who works long hours and needs something delivered can order it and have it delivered within two hours and they can use it at night to cook,” he said.

“If one supermarket offers something and the other is not doing it, it will drag consumers to that supermarket so they have to keep pace or be a step in front.”

Rival supermarket Coles has also joined forces with online jobs service Airtasker to have a customer’s shopping delivered within a few hours or the same day by an Airtasker worker.

Customers set their own price on how much they are willing to pay to have the groceries delivered.

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Melbourne Express Delivery store list:

Preston South

Fitzroy

South Yarra

Bentleigh

Ashwood

Middle Brighton

South Melbourne

Coburg Station

Balwyn

Mentone

Newmarket Plaza

Carnegie

Malvern

Moonee Ponds

Doncaster Shopping Town

Sydney Express Delivery store list:

Alexandria

Ashfield

Bondi Junction

Burwood

Carlingford

Crows Nest

Dee Why

Double Bay

Eastgardens

Eastlakes

Hornsby

Lane Cove

Leichhardt Marketplace

Marrickville

Marsfield

Mascot

Mortdale

Neutral Bay

Redfern

Top Ryde