UK supermarket Waitrose has spent £10 million relaunching its online home-delivery service after opting out with its deal with Ocado.
The investment has been made after Waitrose’s owner, the John Lewis Partnership, sold its stake in internet grocer Ocado and renegotiated a supply agreement with its rival, reports Fruitnet.com.
Waitrose.com will compete with Ocado in the lucrative London market for the first time, believing the “personal touches” on its new website will help attract customers.
Until last year, the retailer had been prevented from delivering food to homes within the M25 as part of its supply agreement with Ocado. But a new 10-year deal agreed in May will open up the market to the group from this summer.
Consumers can make specific requests for a green banana or a single onion that might be needed for a recipe.
Waitrose md Mark Price said: "This investment in our online platform will dramatically enhance the customer experience so that shoppers receive the unrivalled standards of service and the personal touch they associate with our branches."
The online grocery market is expected to become increasingly competitive as other UK retailers, including Morrisons and Marks & Spencer, consider their own entries into the sector.
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