Rapid grocery delivery in the UK: Awareness, usage trends and adoption barriers

Key findings:

• Awareness of rapid grocery delivery services is relatively high, with 67% of British adults saying they have heard of them.
• Usage remains limited, with the most common behaviour being using the service less than once a month (13%).
• Rapid delivery orders tend to be small, with 31% of users typically spending £20–£29.99 per order.
• Everyday essentials drive most orders, as 65% of users buy items such as milk, bread and eggs through these services.
• Adoption barriers remain significant, with 47% saying the service isn’t necessary for regular shopping and 40% citing high delivery fees.

Rapid grocery delivery services are gaining renewed attention as retailers compete on speed and convenience. Amazon recently launched Amazon Now, offering grocery deliveries in around 30 minutes in parts of London, while Tesco has expanded its rapid delivery service Whoosh, delivering from stores in as little as 20 minutes and reaching more than 70% of UK households. Tesco Whoosh took the top spot in UK advertiser of the month in February. Against this backdrop, a new YouGov Survey examines how familiar Britons are with rapid grocery delivery services, how often they use them, and what drives or limits adoption. 

Around two-thirds of British adults (67%) say they have heard of rapid grocery delivery services. Awareness is relatively consistent across age groups, though slightly higher among those aged 25–34 (70%) and 35–44 (68%).

Regional differences are more pronounced. Awareness is highest in London, where 76% say they have heard of these services, followed by the South (72%). By comparison, awareness stands at 62% in both the North and the Midlands.

How often do Britons use rapid grocery delivery services?

Among those aware of rapid grocery delivery, usage tends to be infrequent. The most widely reported usage pattern is using the service less than once a month (13%). Smaller shares say they use the service once a week (3%), once every two weeks (3%), or once a month (3%).

Frequent use is rare. Only a small minority report using rapid grocery delivery multiple times per week, and daily usage is minimal across most groups. Younger consumers show slightly higher engagement, with 4% of 18–24-year-olds reporting daily use, but this still represents a niche behaviour.

Typical rapid grocery delivery order values

Order values are generally modest. The largest share of users spend £20–£29.99 per order (31%), while a further 25% typically spend £10–£19.99.

Higher-value orders are less common. Around 10% of users spend £40–£49.99 on average, while only small proportions (7%) report spending £50 or more.

What items do people order through rapid grocery delivery?

The types of items ordered through rapid delivery reinforce its role as a top-up service. Everyday essentials such as milk, bread and eggs are the items ordered by 65% of users. Fresh food and snacks are each ordered by 47% of users, while 36% order household items.

Ordering a full weekly shop through rapid delivery is uncommon, with 10% of users saying they use the service for this purpose.

Why consumers use rapid grocery delivery services

Convenience emerges as the leading motivation for using rapid grocery delivery services (47%). A similar share cite fast delivery or time savings (43%), while an equal proportion say they use them for urgent needs, such as when they have forgotten an item.

More than a third of users (36%) say rapid delivery helps them avoid trips to physical stores, while around a quarter (24%) highlight the ease of ordering via app or website.

What drives satisfaction with rapid grocery delivery?

Convenience (19%) and speed (18%) also rank highest when users are asked which single aspect of the service they are most satisfied with.

Helping with urgent needs and avoiding store trips are each cited by 13% of users as their main source of satisfaction. Other factors such as price, product availability or service reliability are mentioned far less frequently.

What is limiting wider adoption of rapid grocery delivery?

Several barriers continue to limit broader adoption of rapid grocery delivery. Nearly half say the service is not necessary for regular shopping (47%). A similar share, 45%, say they prefer shopping in person.

Delivery cost is another significant barrier, with 40% saying fees are too high. Cost concerns are particularly pronounced among younger and middle-aged consumers: 52% of those aged 25–34 and 48% of those aged 35–44 say high delivery costs discourage them from using the services more often.

Availability remains an issue in some parts of the country. For example, 17% of respondents in Scotland say rapid grocery delivery is not available in their area.

Would users switch to a different rapid grocery delivery service?

Although overall usage remains relatively limited, many users indicate they would consider switching providers if better options were available. A plurality (38%) say they are fairly likely to switch to another service offering improved delivery options, while 19% say they are very likely.

Overall, the findings suggest that rapid grocery delivery services currently function primarily as a convenience-driven top-up channel. While awareness is widespread, particularly in urban areas, regular use remains limited. Addressing cost concerns and demonstrating value beyond speed may be key factors in encouraging broader adoption.

Methodology: YouGov Surveys: Serviced provides quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. This study was conducted online between 6-9 March 2026, with a nationally representative sample of 2,591 adults (aged 18+ years) in Great Britain, using a questionnaire designed by YouGov. Data figures have been weighted by age, gender, education, region and social grade to be representative of all adults in Great Britain (18 years or older) and reflect the latest ONS population estimates.

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