Aldi drops Deliveroo trials as shoppers flock back to stores

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Discounter Aldi has halted its delivery trial with Deliveroo as easing coronavirus restrictions has led to consumers returning to its stores.

Deliveroo rider outside Aldi store

Aldi was offering rapid delivery via Deliveroo from 100 stores

Aldi first partnered with delivery app Deliveroo in May 2020 during the first national lockdown as consumer demand for home delivery surged. Up to 100 of Aldi’s 950 stores offered the service but the discounter confirmed it has abandoned the partnership as more customers have come back to stores.

Recent Kantar grocery market share data showed online sales were down 3.7% to 12.2% in December, compared with a peak of 15% last year.

An Aldi spokesman said the grocer would focus on its click-and-collect service, which is offered at more than 200 its stores, over home delivery.

Aldi customers will still be able to purchase SpecialBuy products as well as wine and spirits online for home delivery.

During the pandemic, supermarkets including Waitrose, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and the Co-op partnered with Deliveroo to increase delivery capacity, while the market was also flooded with on-demand players such as Getir, Gorillas, Weezy and Zapp.

Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Ocado have launched on-demand delivery services – Whoosh, Chop Chop and Zoom, respectively.

However, as customers return to stores in larger numbers as coronavirus restrictions unwind, Aldi’s move is a break with the prevailing trends of the last two years to more orthodox thinking around the profitability of online food delivery.