Tesco Direct was forced to apologise to customers following “unexpected high demand” which will result in all deliveries taking 5-7 days.

In a statement posted on its website, Tesco said: “We are currently experiencing high demand. If you choose Click + Collect or Standard delivery, please allow five to seven days for your order to arrive. Express delivery is currently unavailable.”

The “Express delivery” is a next day delivery service, akin to others that have appeared this year as retailers struggle to provide the best postage options possible

Tesco, the UK’s biggest supermarket chain, added that “orders from our partners will be unaffected.”

With the key Christmas trading period approaching, and online shopping becoming increasingly popular, unprepared retailers face strains on their systems from a higher volume of orders, particularly with Black Friday looming.

It has been speculated that Tesco has taken this step because of the appeal related to its Clubcard Boost promotion, which allows Club Card members to exchange £5 worth of vouchers for £10 worth of online shopping, which can be used for items like electronics as well as grocery shopping.