Deliveroo plans for ‘dark store’ in Bristol for new quick grocery delivery service

Deliveroo wants to open a warehouse - also known as a ‘dark store’ - near Bristol Temple Meads station which would be stocked with groceries and alcohol for quick deliveries.

The warehouse in an arched storage area under railway lines in Oxford Street in St Philips would be open from 7am to midnight seven days a week.

BristolWorld understands it would form part of the company’s Deliveroo Hop service, which is yet to launch in Bristol.

Deliveroo Hop was launched in London last September and sees Deliveroo use small urban warehouses to fulfil grocery orders made on its app in as fast as 10 minutes.

In the capital, Deliveroo has partnered with Morrisons to provide the service.

The plans for the Bristol warehouse have emerged in a licence application lodged with Bristol City Council to store alcohol at the site.

When approached, Deliveroo declined to comment on the application, while Morrisons referred the media query back to Deliveroo.

What is Deliveroo Hop

Deliveroo launched the rapid grocery delivery service in London in September last year.

Unlike the traditional platform where Deliveroo couriers pick up from restaurants and supermarkets, Deliveroo Hop uses a dedicated warehouse, also know as a ‘dark store’, located in an urban area to provide faster delivery.

The company already used ‘dark kitchens’ - dedicated places where takeaway meals are made only for delivery.

On its launch, the company issued a press release in which Deliveroo founder and chief executive Will Shu said: “Deliveroo Hop will enhance our on-demand grocery offering for both consumers and our grocery partners.

“We are pleased to launch the service with Morrisons, one of our largest partners.”

What Morrisons has said on Deliveroo Hop

As part of the service, at its launch last year Deliveroo said it offered a range of up to 2,000 items, including partner-branded and own-label products from Morrisons.

Ready meals and snacks from the supermarket’s Market Street counters.

Morrisons chief executive David Potts said: “The rapid delivery grocery sector is developing quickly and is highly valued by customers.

“The launch of Deliveroo Hop represents another key moment, enabling customers to choose from a wide selection of groceries from Morrisons and have them delivered by Deliveroo in as little as ten minutes.”

This story initially said the warehouse would be at a property in Oxford Street in Totterdown as per the licencing application register published by Bristol City Council. This was incorrect due to an error when logging the application, the city council has since clarified.