Supermarket delivery app Buymie has partnered with Asda, Britain's third largest supermarket chain in terms of market share, to offer its same-day grocery delivery service to customers in Bristol and Leeds.
It is Buymie's first deal with a major UK retailer following successful partnerships with the likes of Lidl, Dunnes Stores and Tesco in Ireland, and the company's service will operate as 'Asda Express powered by Buymie' under the partnership.
Asda customers within a three-mile residence of 10 stores in the two cities will be able to access Asda's full online range and pick a "personal shopper" with whom they discuss their preferences and possible substitutes to get their items and deliver them to their home.
Devan Hughes, co-founder and CEO of Buymie, said he was "thrilled" to be launching the partnership with Asda and its 'powered by' enterprise technology with which Asda has created a personalised Buymie app for Leeds customers.
Customers in Bristol will have to place orders through Buymie's existing app, but customers in Leeds can download the 'Asda Express powered by Buymie' app to trial the service.
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Delivery fees will range from £3.49 to £4.99, with free delivery on orders of £50 or more to mark the launch. The trial will last three months, and Asda said it could be rolled out further if successful.
"As we look to further expand the number of convenient delivery options we offer, we know that customers are increasingly looking for a more personalised service," Simon Gregg, senior vice president of e-commerce at Asda, said.
"The trial in Leeds and Bristol will give access to our full online range and a ‘personal shopper’ experience for bigger basket shops through Buymie’s interactive platform.
“By partnering with Buymie we are able to offer express delivery in more locations more quickly, without the need to implement new technology, infrastructure or cause disruption to our store teams.”
Buymie is now available to over 2m people in Ireland the UK, and the launch in Leeds will bring the number of personal shoppers working for the company to around 500.
Buymie operates two offices in Dublin and London and has a team of over 70 direct staff, including developers and engineers in Armenia, where CTO and co-founder Art Sokhikyan is based.
Established in 2016, Buymie extended its service to stores in Galway and Limerick last May after previously launching in Dublin, Cork and Bristol, where it partnered with Co-op stores in May 2020.
Buymie closed a Series A funding round worth €5.8m in June 2019, bringing its total capital raised to €10.5m. The company claimed annual growth of 500% in 2020 and now estimates that its same-day grocery delivery services has been used by one in eight households in Dublin.
Photo: Buymie co-founder and CEO Devan Hughes.
