A small-scale scheme to offer customers the option to order groceries via safe shopping online and have their goods delivered to their doorsteps is being launched in the Midlands by budget supermarket chain Aldi, according to Internet Retailing.

The firm is one of a number of bricks and mortar operators to have decided to team up with Deliveroo, the food courier app giant that has traditionally aimed to offer users a way to get takeaway food from restaurants that do not normally offer such a service.

With the effects of the coronavirus still disrupting the UK’s retail and catering industries, Deliveroo has expanded its operations to include grocery deliveries, and Aldi’s Nottingham outlet will be the latest store to support its service.

Anyone who orders from a selection of essential products which can be purchased from Aldi via Deliveroo will receive the items very quickly, so long as they are within the eligible area for delivery. This partnership means that Aldi team members will be responsible for picking the products and for packing bags, allowing the Deliveroo drivers the opportunity to be as efficient as possible when they pick up orders.

Aldi spokesperson Giles Hurley explained that this trial would enable customers to get good value for money on groceries while also having the added benefit of not needing to leave the house for essentials during the ongoing pandemic.

The aim is to put this partnership through its paces at a single store and, if it proves to be a success, roll it out further afield, first across the rest of the region and then ideally nationwide. Customers who are either self-isolating in order to avoid spreading coronavirus, or who are in generally vulnerable categories, will be prioritised as part of this new project.