Rapid grocer Gopuff is to operate a 24-hour service on Christmas Day and Boxing Day in several UK cities “whilst mainstream supermarkets are shut or operating on limited hours”.
The quick commerce player’s dark stores in London, Cambridge, Salford, Swansea, Liverpool, Newcastle, Bristol, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Coventry and Nottingham would be open and operational every hour of the Christmas period, it said. Its dark stores in Derby and Sheffield will also be fulfilling orders until 2am each day.
All major UK supermarkets will be closed on Christmas Day. Some open for limited periods on Boxing Day, while others remain closed. Aldi, Waitrose, Poundland and Home Bargains have confirmed they will be closing for the two-day period, with Lidl only opening stores within the M25 on Boxing Day.
“Most UK supermarkets are closed on Christmas Day and have limited hours around the holidays, making it hard to get what you need when you need it,” Leon Tang, Gopuff director of growth, told The Grocer. “That’s where Gopuff comes in. Open 24/7, we’re here to deliver festive treats, groceries, and last-minute essentials right to your door. Whether it’s snacks for holiday movie marathons, forgotten ingredients, or emergency supplies, Gopuff has you covered anytime.”
The delivery app has launched a Christmas section of its app and website, featuring drinks, ‘nibbles’ and confectionery, as well as bundled products to put together a ‘grazing board’, make mulled wine, and serve a Christmas roast dinner.
Gopuff said the 24-hour service would be carried through to New Year’s Eve and Day.
Gopuff rival, premium convenience dleivery app Zapp said it was also opening for 24 hours over the festive period - including on Christmas Day and Boxing Day - as it has done for the last three years. Zapp said it was Londoners’ “one stop shop for all Christmas emergencies, from last minute gifts to festive essentials like mince pies, panettone, champagne, brandy butter and even wrapping paper”.
Last month, Gopuff announced it was price-matching Aldi on more than 50 popular items, including festive favourites, fresh produce and store cupboard essentials.
The price match activity covers both branded goods – including Coca-Cola, Kinder Bueno, Walkers and Stella Artois – and non-branded goods, which are in the most part supplied by Morrisons.
The quick commerce player said the move was an effort to “give UK households an affordable option as they prepare for one of the year’s most expensive seasons”. The price match campaign will run until the end of the year, with a “potential extension depending on customer response”, Gopuff said at the time.
Gopuff has been rolling out 24/7 deliveries across most of its sites in recent months. The 24-hour option “eliminates the need for advance scheduling, which can be especially helpful as seasonal items often sell out quickly”, the company said.
It has been pitching the service as a hassle-free alternative to booking Christmas delivery slots with the major grocers. “Customers can order popular Christmas ingredients like mince pies, snacks, and drinks right when they need them, with no need to secure delivery slots in advance,” it said.
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