UK independent parcel carrier Yodel has partnered with leading food & drink company, BoroughBox, amid an explosion in new demand for home food deliveries. The new agreement will see Yodel provide a choice of delivery options for customers looking to take advantage of doorstep delivery convenience.

With further restrictions put in place across the country and consumers asked to stay at home, there has been substantial growth in online grocery shopping. A recent report from Kantar shows take-home grocery sales rose by 9.4% during the 12 weeks to 4 October, and online sales were up 76% in October versus a year ago, with one in five households ordering groceries via the internet.

BoroughBox customers will benefit from Yodel’s Xpect service meaning that customers will receive regular updates on their parcel delivery, including the two-hour delivery window on the morning of the delivery. Purchasers will also be able to use Yodel’s Xpress service, which enables them to track their parcels online throughout the delivery process and rearrange their deliveries if need be.

The new partnership comes as Yodel announced it is recruiting 2,950 roles this holiday season in order to bolster resource and ensure its operations run smoothly during the busiest period of the year. 

Sam Holden, chief commercial officer at Yodel, said: “We are thrilled to be working with BoroughBox to help deliver their high-quality boxes to people across the UK. With specialist skills and expertise in food delivery, we pride ourselves on ensuring that perishable goods are handled with care and delivered on time. This is more important than ever in the lead up to Christmas as families increasingly order food online to prepare for Christmas. Food boxes have boomed in popularity this year, and we look forward to working closely with BoroughBox into 2021 and beyond.”

Andy Lawson, chief executive officer at BoroughBox, commented: “BoroughBox are now a few months into what we envisage as a long-term partnership between two like-minded businesses. What appealed to us is Yodel's commitment to continuous improvement, technology investments, and, of course, friendly, reliable service. This resonates strongly with our own brand values. Logistics is such an important part of today's digital world, and both BoroughBox and Yodel are delivering day-in-day-out, at scale, for customers across both the consumer and business sector."