Delivering merchandise to shoppers’ doorsteps across Dubai and Abu Dhabi
British quality grocer Waitrose & Partners recently launched its first e-commerce platform outside of the UK, as the supermarket chain responds to the massive surge in demand for online grocery shopping in the UAE.
The user-friendly, one-stop-shop is home to an extensive range of over 15,000 responsibly-sourced, quality food and drinks designed to meet the needs of customers who want to shop for their groceries online, a press statement indicated.
Renowned for combining the convenience of a supermarket with the expertise and service of a specialist shop, the brand’s new e-commerce platform comes at a time when Covid-19 has accelerated consumer adoption of online shopping.
According to a report by Ken Research, the pandemic has prompted 79% of consumers in the UAE to change their shopping habits from offline to online. By the end of 2025, the research group expects online grocery delivery penetration in the total UAE grocery market to increase by 25%.
“As the pace of online shopping continues to accelerate, listening to our customers’ demands and reflecting the service, quality and choice of our supermarkets has never been more crucial,” commented Sunil Kumar, CEO of Fine Fare Foods, which runs Waitrose & Partners UAE.
The service will offer over 2,800 delivery slots each week, with a choice of three delivery time slots per day, reaching more than 1,500 homes across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the press note added.
