Booker has launched a new home delivery service for independent retailers called Scoot, Better Retailing can reveal.

Raven’s Budgens in Abridge, Romford became one of the first stores to make the service available to customers on 10 February. Another three stores will participate in pilot during the following two months, with a wider rollout scheduled for April 2025.

Participating retailers will receive a launch support package worth more than £2,800, offering point of sale, digital assets and thermal delivery bags. Other support includes marketing support and branded wraps for delivery vehicles.

An official description for the service, available on both Apple and Android smartphones, stated Scoot was exclusive to Premier, Londis, Budgens and Family Shopper stores. It also promises delivery in at least 30 minutes upon ordering.

Scoot manages the ordering, payment and picking, leaving the retailer to organise the delivery themselves. The store owner can choose to conduct the delivery using their own drivers or through a third-party.

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On a social media post about the service, Raven’s Budgens stated Scoot offered customers in-store prices, 0% service fee and 0% commission fee.

Commenting on Scoot, Goran Raven, director for Budgens Abridge said: “It is not only appealing to my existing customer base, but it will also help me recruit new customers. This is a fantastic opportunity and a big win for me.”

Booker‘s retail managing director Colm Johnson added: “It’s a fantastic opportunity for our retailers to increase their basket spend, store sales and connect with new and existing shoppers in their local communities. The feedback from our pilot test has been really positive and we look forward to welcoming more retailers over the next few months.”

Better Retailing first revealed Booker was gearing up to launch its own home delivery service after it had filed trademarks for ‘Scoot’ in September last year, among ‘Swoop,’ ‘Nippy,’ and ‘Deliverease.’

Industry reaction

Retailers already operating grocery delivery services told Better Retailing they were approached by Booker about joining Scoot from around October 2024 onwards, and were offered terms of just 0.7% fee per order. They said they had refused the offer to protect and focus on their existing delivery businesses.

Speaking to Better Retailing, an industry expert raised concerns over Scoot’s operating model, stating the low fees it charges plus additional wholesale purchasing by partnered stores is unlikely to cover the cost of sustaining the platform.

The expert suggested ‘substantial’ commercial revenues from suppliers would be needed to make it viable, and that achieving these commercial revenues would be difficult without large numbers of Booker symbol stores operating on the service. They told Better Retailing: “It looks like a me-too service. Nisa launched its own delivery platform and then immediately after Booker registered trademarks for a delivery platform. They are arriving late to the party and many of their best stores are already spoken for.”

The expert also highlighted Scoot’s terms and conditions which could give Tesco access to independent retailers’ shopper data. The terms state shopper data can be shared by Booker with Tesco for ‘corporate governance, provision of services, as well as achieving effective business management’.

They said the launch also calls Booker’s partnerships with third-party delivery platforms into question, as it now essentially operates a rival service. Last August, just months before Booker registered trademarks to launch Scoot, it entered a ‘strategic partnership’ with Snappy Shopper where Booker pledged to help sign its retailers up to Snappy Shopper. Booker also has began a similar partnership with Just-Eat in 2022.

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