Deliveroo has today announced that it is rapidly expanding the number of riders it works with across the UK.
The UK’s leading food delivery company has announced that it will create work for an additional 15,000 riders by the end of the year. This means the company will have more than doubled the number of riders from 25,000 to more than 50,000 in the UK over the course of 2020.
The company has already started to work with 15,000 new riders during the pandemic, which is a 286% rise year on year. The company is currently onboarding 2,000 riders per week to its network, which is the highest number on record.
This rapid growth in on-demand work is spread right across the UK and underlines the vital role that Deliveroo is playing in the pandemic to provide business opportunities for restaurants, bring people food during lockdowns and to provide work opportunities for riders. Riders on average earn well above the national minimum wage. Deliveroo will only work with new riders in specific parts of the country where there is sufficient customer demand to ensure earning levels stay high.
Nearly half of people who ride for Deliveroo globally are students, so these new rider opportunities will be particularly beneficial for students who are looking for flexible work to fit around study or whose summer jobs may have been cancelled. The opportunities are also increasingly popular with people who are looking for the benefits of flexibility and have other commitments, such as starting a new business, caring responsibilities or looking after a family.
The number of Deliveroo riders follows the sharp rise in new restaurants that have joined the platform since March. Exclusive Deliveroo data reveals that there are now 11,500 new UK restaurant partners on Deliveroo - 8,800 small and independents, demonstrating the strong customer demand for food delivery during the pandemic. Deliveroo has also signed-up 16 new on-demand grocery partners this year, such as Aldi, Morrison’s, Waitrose and Co-op, reaching customers right across the UK.
The company has also revealed that rider satisfaction has never been as high, in part due to the vital role that riders are carrying out in their communities as ‘key workers’ and the strong public support they have received during the pandemic.
During lockdown, Deliveroo riders have:
• Delivered essential food and household items to households right across the UK, particularly beneficial for those who are isolating or vulnerable
• Helped deliver 750,000 free meals to NHS frontline staff and charities
• Signed-up for free training to help spot the signs of child abuse, in partnership with NSPCC
• Received overwhelming public support for their efforts during the pandemic and been recognised for their incredible work in the national media
To show its appreciation for riders, Deliveroo has:
• Introduced 800 free online training courses for all riders and their families during the pandemic
• Opened up applications for 51 full funded junior-degree level scholarships via the Rider Academy (eligible riders or their loved ones can apply)
• Recognised the incredible role riders have carried out during the pandemic at the Rider Awards 2020
CEO Will Shu said, “Riders are heroes and we are so proud of the vital role that they are carrying out in their local communities during the pandemic. It is fantastic that we can now recruit even more riders and will create a record 15,000 new opportunities by the end of the year.
'With a record number of riders and restaurant partners on the platform, we can now reach even more amazing customers across the UK, delivering the food that people need and want.'