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Source: Just Eat

Just Eat is continuing its expansion into non-food with an exclusive partnership with greetings card and gift retailer Card Factory.

Consumers will be able to choose from more than 200 Card Factory products on the aggregator app, including greetings cards, candles, balloons, gift bags, key rings, confectionery and stationery.

The partnership has gone live in 19 of the retailer’s 1,000 UK and Ireland stores, including in Belfast, Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester and Wakefield. The partnership will extend to a further 21 stores nationwide later this year.

“Increasingly, rapid delivery is no longer deemed a luxury but an expectation by busy consumers, and this is demonstrated by the fact one million UK customers are now regularly getting groceries from Just Eat,” said Amy Heather, Just Eat UK strategic accounts director.

“As we expand further into the retail space, this exclusive partnership with Card Factory signals our commitment to serving customers whenever, and wherever, they need us. Through our extensive delivery network we’re working to make gifting and celebrating as convenient for consumers as ordering a takeaway.”

A Just Eat Takeaway.com commissioned survey by PA Consulting earlier this year found three in four people who have ordered on-demand groceries in the past believe it will become a part of their daily lives. The study of 4,000 European customers identified eight key moments which drive grocery and retail orders on the app – one of which included gift giving and care packages for loved ones. “This new partnership aims to serve that mission and more,” Just Eat said.

Sam Davies, executive digital director at Card Factory, said: “Celebrating life’s moments is an important part of the way we live, so we want customers to be able to interact with us in whichever way they choose, whether that’s in store, online, or through one of our partners.

“Delivering great value, choice and Convenience is key to Cardfactory’s growth strategy, and through our partnership with Just Eat, we look forward to bringing our unique proposition to more customers in more places,” he added.

The deal marks the latest expansion into non-food for the aggregator app. In March, Just Eat began a play in health & beauty through a partnership with independent UK chain Pyramid Pharmacy. It sees a broad range of items, including perfume, make-up, first aid essentials and flu remedies, listed on the app. In May, it partnered with prescription glasses retailer Pop Specs, enabling customers to order prescription, ready-to-wear eyewear in under 30 minutes.

Speaking to The Grocer in March, Just Eat UK MD Claire Pointon said the company’s move into non-food was just beginning. “We’re at the foothills of these things and they will expand,” she said.

“By launching these new retail partnerships, our aim is to show up for our customers in more of the moments when they need us,” she added.