McColl’s has confirmed it is in talks to launch its own grocery delivery service in order to grow its connection with customers.

Sources close to the talks had told RN the convenience store chain was keen to grow what was described as ‘last-mile visibility’ by operating its own fleet of vehicles and drivers with McColl’s branded signage.

The company currently has 400 of its approximately 1,300 stores registered on its delivery platform of choice – Uber Eats. McColl’s signed a partnership with Uber Eats in December 2020 following a year-long trial and a previous partnership with rival firm Deliveroo.

Asked about its plans to add its own delivered service, McColl’s confirmed the move and said it would be ‘complementary’ to its existing partnership with Uber Eats. In a sign of its commitment to working with the delivery form, A McColl’s spokesperson revealed that it has struck an agreement with Uber Eats to bring even more of its retail estate locations to taking orders through the platform.

The McColl’s spokesperson told RN:  “We’ve said for some time that online delivery is a fantastic opportunity for McColl’s to better serve our customers. It offers them even greater flexibility to get their daily essentials and attracts a younger generation to the brand. We’re delighted with the progress we’re making through our partnership with Uber Eats, and we now have plans to roll out the Uber Eats proposition to more stores beyond the original 400 previously announced.

“As we’ve previously stated, we also continue to explore a range of other complementary last mile delivery options to further extend our customer reach online, which could include an additional service operated by McColl’s potentially supported by Uber. However, discussions remain at an early stage and no final decisions have been taken.”