Three of the UK’s biggest companies have teamed up to help provide people with essential items during the Covid-19 pandemic. Supermarket Marks & Spencer has teamed up with Deliveroo and BP fuel stations to deliver basic essentials to households that are practicing self-isolation.
As part of the initiative, people will be able to order the likes of milk, bread and juices, as well as frozen pizzas and a selection of ready meals. The service will be entirely free of charge and has been masterminded to help the vulnerable in society during these very surreal times.
Deliveroo currently employs 60,000 riders in the UK, who will help in this mammoth effort, which around 120 branches of M&S will be participating in.
Speaking about the initiative, Deliveroo founder Will Shu said: “At Deliveroo, we want to do everything possible to help people get the food they want and need during this worrying period.
“We hope we can play a role in supporting people who have to isolate to get the food they need, whether that's household items or restaurant food.”
Both Deliveroo and rival service Uber Eats have seen a surge in restaurants signing up to their services following the government’s decision to close all restaurants and other social venues in the UK, with the latter announcing that it has waived registration fees for any restaurants signing up during this period.
Several delivery services have also launched ‘no contact’ options, in which the delivery driver will leave your food on your doorstep and stand six feet apart before you open the door, therefore ensuring social distancing.
In other industry news, sandwich chain Eat has announced its permanent closure.