Doughnuts and lost drivers as Co-op University of Birmingham store switches on Uber Eats
Peter Kelland, Head of Retail and Brands at University of Birmingham, has taken to social media to shine a light on how launching a new service is never quite as straightforward as the project plan suggests. The university recently went live with Uber Eats from its on campus Co-op store.
In a LinkedIn post, Kelland said: "Before we could even go live, we needed to pass the Co-op audit and demonstrate that our stock accuracy and systems were strong enough to support online orders and deliveries. Thankfully, the team delivered. Then came a challenge we hadn't fully appreciated..."
He added: "Our store sits in the heart of campus. Great for customers. Not so great when delivery drivers are trying to locate a specific building among 675 acres of university grounds! A few lost drivers and several phone calls later, we realised the map pin needed relocating. Thanks to Co-op's Steve Rye we got that sorted, and we put out some directional signage, the orders started flowing smoothly. A bit Blue Peter until the drivers all know the way to the backdoor."
"Co-op said the best selling line would be doughnuts and sure enough it is, sugar cravings at 9pm. The really pleasing part is seeing the customer feedback coming through already, with eight five-star reviews received so far. A great result for the team and another example of how campus retail continues to evolve to meet changing customer expectations."
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
On demand delivery will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
