Deliveroo is the latest company to enter the grocery Quick commerce market (Q-commerce), with a new initiative allowing customers to order shopping to their doorstep.

Deliveroo Express Mart was announced today, and the company said it now works with ‘convenience-led partners’ including 7Eleven, Marks and Spencer, Shop Kitopi, Circle K, IKEA- Swedish Food Market, Quality Food and 800Pharmacy.

Grocery deliveries are now accessible via the app, where orders are allocated to a Deliveroo rider, who delivers it in 20 minutes.

Anis Harb, General Manager, Deliveroo UAE, said: “At Deliveroo, we listen to our customers and pride ourselves on keeping up with consumer trends. The global pandemic has accelerated the importance of delivery, and the need for at-home delivery services beyond takeaway food.

“We want to help Dubai residents receive a variety of essential goods right to their doors and accommodate the shift in consumers’ needs; that’s why we’re delighted to launch Deliveroo Express Mart.”

Deliveroo was launched in London in 2013, and first arrived in the UAE’s highly competitive restaurant take out delivery market in 2015.

Its foray into the grocery delivery market puts it in direct competition with InstaShop and el grocer, delivery apps which both launched in Dubai in 2015.

Deliveroo would not be drawn on whether its latest venture was an attempt to capture the market share of InstaShop, which was acquired by German delivery giant Delivery Hero earlier this year for $360 million, after it saw its gross merchandise value (GMV) triple year on year by the end of the second quarter of 2020.

Dubai-based ride sharing app Careem also launched a grocery delivery service in April.

“As the UAE continues to work from home, Deliveroo’s Express Mart will make convenience even more convenient for busy residences, giving people access to the food they want and need within a few clicks,” the company said in an emailed response to questions.

“Whether it’s household items or dine-in dishes from local restaurant favourites, Deliveroo continues to raise a smile amongst our customers who now more than ever look for amazing food to be delivered directly to their doors.”

(Reporting by Imogen Lillywhite; editing by Daniel Luiz)

imogen.lillywhite@refinitiv.com

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© ZAWYA 2020