Coronavirus: Woolworths partners with Uber to boost home delivery capacity

The supermarket giant has faced unprecedented demand for home delivery services amid the coronavirus lockdown.

A new partnership between Woolworths and Uber will kick off today as the supermarket giant looks for new ways to meet unprecedented demand for home delivery during the coronavirus lockdown.

Shoppers will continue to place their orders through the Woolworths website or app, which will be picked and packed in stores before being passed onto Uber drivers to fulfil the delivery.

Orders are capped at 40 items and will be delivered the next day.

The new partnership will start today at three Woolworths stores in Townsville, Queensland, before expanding to more cities in the coming weeks.

The move comes just weeks after panic buying hit Australian supermarket shelves, causing and some store to door orders to be cancelled amid unprecedented demand.

Woolworths suspended its Pick Up and Delivery Services for some Australians, as the retailer struggled to meet demand.

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Woolworths hopes to meet renewed demand for home delivery with this new partnership.

Woolworths reopened its Delivery and Pick Up services for all customers on Wednesday April 22, after doubling online capacity during the previous month.

“The demand for our home delivery service has grown at an unprecedented rate across Australia in recent months,” Woolworths Director of E-Commerce Annette Karantoni said.

“As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, it’s vital we keep scaling our delivery capacity to meet the essential needs of our communities.

“We see partnerships as an integral part of this effort, and are delighted to team up with Uber to bring the convenience of grocery delivery to even more Australians.”

Uber General Manager for Australia and New Zealand, Dom Taylor was also optimistic about the new partnership.

“At Uber our team is dedicated to supporting the communities we serve, especially at this time,” he said.

“This partnership with Woolworths will ensure Australians can continue to access the vital supplies they need, quickly and without having to leave their house.

“We look forward to using our platform to support Woolworths and the community and at the same time provide additional earning opportunities for driver partners.”