Several key themes,as retailers adjust and develop further , delivery innovation continues, and more thoughts turn to the future.

Retailer shifts

Asda has extended its Scan & Go Mobile offering to all its 581 stores. Across its large store estate, customers can use the app on their phones to scan their groceries while they shop. Already available in over 300 stores, this has been rolled out to a further 223 stores over recent weeks. Other retailers, including Sainsbury’s, have also been keen to extend provision of this service in-store over recent weeks.

Sainsbury’s has introduced a volunteer shopping card.  Working in a similar way to a gift card, customers can buy this online with a value of between £5 and £250. It can then be sent directly to the friend or family member or neighbour shopping on their behalf.

Morrisons has extended its opening hours further, keeping stores open until 10pm. Most stores will therefore now be open from 7am to 10pm Monday to Saturday, with its dedicated hour for NHS staff from 6am to 7am.

Food-to-go/ foodservice reopenings

Five Guys, which has continued trading through the crisis in 13 of its sites, will reopen five further sites. In Belgium, McDonald’s will reopen drive-thru branches from tomorrow, while back in the UK Pizza Pilgrims is reopening its London Victoria site for delivery.  

Delivery boxes and services

Morrisons has added a Ramadan box to its existing food box offer – details here. The business is expanding food box production rapidly: starting off producing 10,000 food boxes per week, it expects to reach 200,000 food boxes per week in the coming weeks, produced across three Morrisons sites. Boxes are delivered by DPD, typically next day.

Deli Lites, known for its sandwiches, is another business that has been pivoting and diversifying in response to the changed landscape. Shifting its proposition to focus on the direct to consumer delivery of food boxes and bakery, it launched its transactional website two weeks ago, and now delivers across Northern and Southern Ireland. Full web offer here.

Protecting the future

In separate actions, foodservice leaders in both the UK and Germany have written to their respective governments asking for support to ensure the sector’s survival. The points that the sector was hit earlier and harder than most others feature strongly in the approaches.  

Meanwhile in London, Mayor Sadiq Kahn has launched a scheme with Crowdfunder, Pay It Forward, to protect the future of a variety of London businesses, with restaurants, cafés and food-to-go specialists set to feature prominently. The scheme enables businesses to pre-sell their services, with consumers investing and then redeeming their investment at a later date once businesses have reopened. More detail here.