Gifts and celebrations on demand as greetings retailer takes slice of global takeaway firm’s pie
Greeting card retail giant Cardfactory has joined with global online food delivery company Just Eat to offer on-demand delivery of gifting and celebration products.
The partnership covers products including greeting cards, candles, balloons, gift bags, confectionery and stationery and has gone live from an initial 19 stores across the UK, with 21 more to follow later this year, as the retailer looks to grab a slice on the increasing appetite for on-demand delivery.
Amy Heather, Just Eat UK strategic accounts director, said: “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.
“As we expand further into the retail space, this exclusive partnership with Cardfactory 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.”
The news follows research conducted earlier this year by PA Consulting, on behalf of Just Eat Takeaway.com, which found that 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 Just Eat app – one of which included gift giving and care packages for loved ones.
“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,” said Sam Davies, Cardfactory executive digital director.
“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.”
Consumers can choose from over 200 Cardfactory products on the app – the choice covers kids’ birthday cards, general birthday cards, gifts under £5, toys under £10, inflated helium balloons, party supplies, birthday balloons, wedding/engagement, candles, sweets, sweets & chocolate, gift bags, general celebration products, stationery, new job, get well, new arrival, retirement, and toys
And, initially, the products can be delivered from stores at Beckton Retail Park, Belfast Ann Street, Birmingham Fort, Blackpool Corporation Street, Cardiff Queen Street, Coventry The Precinct, Ealing, Glasgow 43 Argyle Street, Hull Holderness Road, Leeds Crown Point Retail Park, Lewisham, Liverpool One Unit 39, Manchester Fort, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Norwich Riverside Retail Park, Nottingham Exchange Walk, Sheffield Pinstone Street, Tooting, and Wakefield’s Teall Street.
Later in the year another 21 of the retailer’s 1,060 outlets are expected to be added to the list in this first for both companies which Cardfactory said addresses the “significant opportunity” in the celebration occasions market that’s worth around £13.4billion, while showing the potential of rapid delivery in connecting innovative High Street businesses with customers online.
The appetite for on-demand delivery continues to grow, with the worldwide grocery-only market predicted to be worth £12.9bn ($16.5bn) by 2029.
Headquartered in Amsterdam, Just Eat is the UK’s largest food delivery platform, reaching 97% of postcodes, with its domestic grocery and retail estate having seen rapid growth in the last year to meet consumers’ demand for convenience shopping, increasing the number of retail outlets on the platform fourfold.
The company, which operates in 19 countries including America, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, and Spain, said partnerships with retailers such as Cardfactory support its mission to “empower everyday convenience” for customers, from last-minute gift giving, through healthcare needs to a late-night grocery dash.
