Ocado rolls out same-day deliveries as UK online grocery big hitter offers its customers Express It slots

Ocado has contacted its customers to inform them that same-day deliveries are now available.

In an email, it said: “Need ingredients for tonight’s supper or just craving your favourite snack? Express It.”

“Yep, same-day deliveries are now a thing and we’ve aptly named them Express It Slots. Here’s the gist: you’ll find these new same-day slots on the usual booking page and you have until 11am to book a delivery for after 4pm the same day. All onboard?”

RTIH tested out the service and found that, at 8am on Saturday, 17th August, the earliest slot available was 4.30-5.30pm at a cost of £5.99. There were also slots on offer for later that evening at £4.99.

Ludicrous statements

Ocado Group Chief Executive Tim Steiner recently said he doubts that the “immediacy premium market will ever be as large as the big basket market”.

This is due to the price and premium that comes with rapid delivery, he argued.

“I remember Gorillas saying that they were going to be bigger than Ocado Retail by the first half of 2022 and I don’t think they got much beyond 2% of Ocado Retail’s size by the time it left the market. There were ludicrous statements being made,” Steiner commented.

The Zoom by Ocado rapid delivery offering has “probably another 12 to 18 months of development to really make it into the product I’d like to see it and to really make it work brilliantly”.

“It’s very good today from a shopper’s perspective. It’s got a bit of work to do from an automation perspective and an ease for the people that operate it, both the courier types and the operators inside Zoom.”

“I think we’ve got an interesting future, I just don’t think that the immediacy premium market will ever be as large as the big basket market. I’m pleased we’re in it because we are learning and we’re continuing to improve,” Steiner concluded.

2024 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Grocery delivery is a key focus area for the sixth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards, which is now open for entries.

The awards, sponsored by CADS, 3D Cloud, Retail Technology Show 2025, and Business France, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

It’s free to enter and you can do so across multiple categories.

Key 2024 dates

Friday, 25th October: Award entry deadline 

Tuesday, 29th October: 2024 shortlist revealed

30th October-6th November: Judging days

Thursday, 21st November: Winners announced at the 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards ceremony, to be held at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London.