Morrisons is opening access to its Christmas delivery slots more than a fortnight earlier than last year in response to customer feedback.
Customers with Morrisons’ Delivery Pass subscription – for which customers pay monthly for unlimited free deliveries – will be able to book coveted Christmas slots from 2 October before the slots go on general release on 9 October.
The move puts the release date in line with rival Asda, which is yet to confirm when its Christmas delivery slots will be made available, but said it expects to be around early October. Last year, Asda’s slot release date was moved two weeks sooner than usual and “earlier than ever before” it said at the time. As per Morrisons and other traditional big four rivals, Asda’s Delivery Pass holders will get access ahead of other shoppers.
Tesco said it would be announcing when slots would be available “in a couple of weeks” – making a repeat of 2023’s early November release date likely. Last year’s date had been a week earlier than in previous years.
Sainsbury’s told The Grocer it would be “contacting customers about our Christmas delivery slots in the next few weeks” – making a mid-October release date, as per last year, probable.
Ocado – in keeping with its tradition of being the first supermarket to do so – has already opened access to its festive season slots, initially to selected holders of its paid-for delivery subscription Smart Pass. It is staggering access across passholders, and began informing selected customers by text and email on Wednesday. Delivery slots booked for between 20-24 December have a minimum spend of £90.
“The elves at HQ have been busy,” said Ocado Retail CEO Hannah Gibson in a LinkedIn post. “Our Christmas shop is officially live, our coveted delivery slots are being released in waves and customers are getting into the festive spirit.”
The retailer said that since August, ‘Christmas’ had been a trending search on its website, and in the final week of that month more than 750 customers were searching for ‘mince pies’.
Waitrose said its Christmas slots will be made available to all customers on October 2.
Most supermarkets have already launched dedicated pages on their grocery websites, where their Christmas ranges, party food, confectionery and alcohol can be shopped.
Sainsbury’s is currently taking Christmas orders on its food-to-order page – where shoppers can pre-order turkey, desserts, centrepieces, and a £45 ‘Christmas Dinner in a Box’ for four for collection at stores on 22, 23 and 24 December. M&S has similarly launched its Christmas food-to-order page, where shoppers can collect orders in store at timed slots from 22-24 December.
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