Groceries on demand delivery pioneer, Gorillas, and Britain’s largest retailer, Tesco have just announced the pilot of a groundbreaking partnership offering instant grocery deliveries to consumers in the UK. The partnership marks a global industry-first within both the rapid delivery and retail industries.
From today, 28 October, Gorillas and Tesco will be piloting a commercial and real-estate partnership in the UK, starting in Thornton Heath, Greater London.
The partnership will then be expanded to additional locations in the coming months, offering consumers across the capital the chance to trial the new combined offering from the German Instant on-demand groceries company and the UK’s leading food retailer.
Across the five UK locations, Gorillas and Tesco will establish co-located warehouses within each Tesco store, utilising the existing Gorillas business model of micro-fulfillment centres to enable delivery of groceries within minutes for their combined customer base.
The commercial partnership will grant Tesco customers access to its products, available for delivery in minutes via Gorillas, whilst unlocking an extensive selection of Tesco’s product range to Gorillas’ customers through the Gorillas app.
This is the first brand partnership between a quick commerce company and grocery retailer that extends beyond commercial aspects to include co-located physical warehouses within Tesco's existing retail stores.
By combining a market leader like Gorillas with an established grocery retailer such as Tesco, both brands are able to leverage the existing networks of Tesco’s strategically located UK stores with Gorillas’ rapid delivery business model for an accelerated and optimised consumer experience.
The Berlin-based company brings to the partnership an unparalleled pace in rolling out operations across new locations, having launched over 200 micro-fulfillment centres across the world in less than a year and a half.
Gorillas’ rapid delivery model has enabled the business to fulfil 4.5 million orders in the past six months alone, with operations in nine countries and 55 cities globally.
Adrian Frenzel, COO at Gorillas, said, “We’re incredibly excited to be announcing this pioneering commercial and real estate partnership with Tesco. At Gorillas, we have established ourselves as a fast-paced company at the forefront of the on demand grocery industry, whilst Tesco is the leading retailer in the UK and a trusted household name nationally.
'The co-location partnership enables both brands to bring their strengths to the table and establish a quicker, higher quality, grocery offering to UK consumers. Customers will not only be able to get the best of Tesco within minutes via Gorillas, but will be able to make the most of Tesco’s extraordinary quality range via the Gorillas app.”
Jason Tarry, CEO UK & ROI at Tesco, said, “The idea that we can reach our customers in just ten minutes is really exciting. We are committed to being easily the most convenient choice for our customers, enabling them to shop whenever and however they want.
'This pilot with Gorillas will help customers get their products right away, supporting those looking to buy food for tonight or last minute forgotten items. We look forward to hearing what our customers think.”
By working with Tesco, Gorillas is able to utilise invaluable retail space at a wide-spanning network of stores across the UK to further optimise its national, and global, expansion.
The pioneering commercial partnership further solidifies Gorillas as a one of the market leaders within the grocery on demand space, signalling a new phase of development toward sustainable growth.