Uber Eats couriers to make rapid Tesco deliveries

The tech and supermarket giants have teamed up but customers still will not be able to order Tesco food and drink on Uber Eats.

Tesco is teaming up with Uber Eats in expansion plans (Nick Ansell / PA) (PA Wire)

Tesco has teamed up with Uber to help expand its rapid grocery delivery service, it has been announced.

Uber said its network of Uber Eats couriers will now be responsible for making deliveries of Tesco products ordered via the supermarket’s Whoosh service.

Supermarkets are keen to cash in on the demand for rapid delivery that grew during the pandemic, with many signing up to food delivery platforms, including Uber Eats and Deliveroo.

Uber Eats couriers will start delivering Tesco food for the supermarket (Andrew Milligan/PA) (PA Archive)

However, Tesco has preferred to develop its own platform because margins charged for rapid delivery are sometimes seen as excessively high.

Tesco launched its Whoosh service, which aims to deliver food and drinks in under 60 minutes, in May 2021 and now covers 200 Express Stores across the UK.

Fees for deliveries are higher than those made via its traditional online grocery service.

The deal with Uber launches from 20 stores across the UK, including Edinburgh, Bradford, Portsmouth, Norwich, St Albans and Letchworth, and bosses said the partnership will help reach its target of offering the service from 600 stores by the end of the year.

Alex Troughton, head of new verticals and grocery at Uber Eats UK, said: “It’s clear that the needs of businesses and consumers have been rapidly evolving in recent years and that trend is accelerating.

“This exciting new partnership will harness the best of Uber’s technology to power superfast Tesco deliveries across the UK.

“The partnership is proof positive of the momentum we’re seeing in our groceries and retailer delivery offer, and we’re committed to providing world-class solutions to our partners.”