New figures released by the Association of Convenience Stores today show that local shops across Britain have stepped up to keep their communities going during the coronavirus crisis, making over 600,000 grocery deliveries a week.
Before the coronavirus crisis, figures from the 2019 ACS Local Shop Report suggested that a little over one in ten convenience stores provided a home delivery service. This figure has since skyrocketed, with around two thirds of local shops now offering some form of delivery.
ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “The way that local shops have responded to the coronavirus crisis to support people in their communities has been nothing short of incredible. Thousands more shops are now offering home delivery services, which are a lifeline for local people - especially for those who are self-isolating, elderly, or otherwise unable to leave the house.
“The home delivery services that stores are providing include everything from customers phoning through their orders to the shop, all the way to some who are using sophisticated online ordering apps. What this shows is that local shops have adapted quickly to make sure that they can still get essentials out to local people, and in most cases those deliveries are processed, packed and delivered on the same day.”
ACS has developed comprehensive guidance for local shops on the different ways that they can provide home delivery services.
ACS’ Home Delivery guidance is available here: https://www.acs.org.uk/advice/home-delivery. The guidance has been viewed by over 30,000 businesses since its launch at the end of March.
