Shortly after Checkers launched its Sixty60 delivery service and Pick n Pay finalised its acquisition of Bottles, Woolworths is set to enter the fray with deliveries through its own delivery platform dubbed Woolies Dash.
While the company hasn’t yet elaborated on when the service will become available or as to how its fees and charges will be structured, the firm flighted the news on Twitter. According to the marque, the platform will – similarly to Checkers – offer grocery deliveries within one hour of purchase.
EXCITING NEWS! Coming soon…WOOLIES DASH. Woolies groceries delivered fast and fresh within the hour. Watch this space 😉 pic.twitter.com/5RpXAOBacz
— Woolworths SA (@WOOLWORTHS_SA) November 23, 2020
The move comes amidst the backdrop of our national lockdown, where Pick n Pay and Checkers have aggressively moved into the delivery space. Other fast food and courier network services such as OrderIn, Mr Delivery, and UberEats have further claimed their own territory as lockdown restrictions have eased.
Other retailers have been quick to adapt; while Bottles was originally launched as an alcohol on-demand delivery app (which we reviewed as such), the platform partnered with Pick n Pay in 2018 and re-purposed its mobile app to offer grocery deliveries once alcohol was prohibited during parts of the national lockdown.
While Woolworths has yet to reveal which groceries in particular its new service will offer, it remains to be seen whether the brand will commit to the same categories as Pick n Pay and Checkers have. The brand has introduced other COVID-19 sensitive measures, such as offering a curbside delivery at selected stores.
What are your thoughts? Would you be willing to use Woolies Dash over seasoned rivals such as Checkers Sixty60 or Bottles? Do you plan to return to conventional grocery store shopping in a post-COVID world? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
