Co-op launches rapid delivery app for all independents called Peckish

Co-op has launched ‘Peckish’, a rapid delivery grocery app, which it is making available to forecourt operators regardless of their shop fascia type.

It says that its online shopping and delivery app “helps to remove barriers that independent retailers face when moving to sell online”, including cost, scale and resource, allowing smaller-scale bricks and mortar retailers to offer deliveries without having to hire their own drivers.

Co-op is making an initial £1 million investment in the app for the first year of operation, following a successful 30 store trial in Nisa stores last year. It hopes to sign up over 1,000 stores in the first year, with potential to treble that number by year three.

Retailers curate their own range and prices to put on the app and can decide whether to deliver the online orders themselves, or for them to be managed through Co-op’s order management system and delivery partners including Just Eat and Uber Direct.

They are charged commission on the price of the order – single digit percentage points if using their own drivers, and around half of what they might pay delivery apps direct, says Co-op.

Peckish will link with a retailer’s EPOS system, saving manual tasks such as pricing and stock control and management. And retailers who sign up will also receive a range of support including data, trends and insight from Co-op’s quick commerce team, as well as point of sale material to market the service instore.

Matt Hood, Co-op food managing director, says the app helps independent retailers get on board with quick commerce at an opportune time with “exceptional” growth in demand for quick deliveries in under 30 minutes. 

”We are experts in running small, local convenience shops and the leading quick comm operator, and I’m excited about being able to share this expertise with all our neighbouring independent retailers, to help them extend their customer reach and services online, which in turn, can help transform their businesses,” he says.

”The ‘shop local’ sentiment is strong amongst consumers, and Peckish can help more retailers connect quickly online with their customers, providing greater consumer choice locally, and promoting healthier and more viable high streets and communities.”

Independent forecourt operators interested in finding out more should contact peckish@coop.co.uk