Tesco has announced plans to launch on Uber Eats and Deliveroo. While this can be seen as simply broadening its quick commerce offer, that explains only part of the story. 

The more interesting question is why Tesco has chosen to make this move now. 

The answer may lie in a combination of market dynamics, evolving shopper behaviour and Tesco's wider strategic ambitions. Viewed through that lens, the partnerships look less like a delivery initiative and more like an effort to strengthen Tesco's position in one of grocery's most important growth channels. 

The quick commerce opportunity 

IGD's latest UK grocery channel forecasts predict online will be the fastest-growing grocery channel between 2026 and 2031, growing at a CAGR of 5.6% and generating £8.7 billion of additional sales. Within that, quick commerce is expected to be the fastest-growing part of the online channel, growing at a CAGR of 10.7%, reaching £5.5 billion by 2031 and accounting for 15% of online grocery sales. 

The pace of quick commerce's growth is becoming increasingly evident in retailers' results. As retailers begin to disclose standalone performance, the scale and strategic importance of the channel is becoming much clearer. 

Tesco disclosed Whoosh sales exceeded £400 million in FY2025/26, growing 51% year-on-year. Perhaps more notable was Sainsbury's disclosure that its quick commerce sales reached £700m, growing 69% year-on-year and acting as a major contributor to online growth. 

These disclosures reinforce a broader trend. Quick commerce is no longer a niche proposition focused solely on emergency purchases. It is evolving into a meaningful part of the online grocery market and one of the most attractive growth opportunities available to retailers. 

Tesco is building from strong foundations 

Tesco has spent several years building both scale and capability through Whoosh.  

Coverage now extends to 73% of UK households, while the proposition has evolved beyond traditional rapid delivery through larger basket sizes and the introduction of same-day scheduled fulfilment. 

Just as importantly, Tesco already works with Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat through the aggregators' white-label delivery capabilities. Over the last two years, Tesco has continued to deepen those relationships through initiatives such as Deliveroo Express and Just Eat Go. 

The launch on Uber Eats and Deliveroo therefore represents the next stage of partnerships that have already helped Tesco build expertise in rapid delivery. 

This distinction matters because Tesco's challenge is unlikely to be fulfilment capability. 

Instead, the bigger opportunity may lie in how shoppers are using quick commerce and where they begin their purchasing journeys. 

Younger shoppers favour aggregators over retailer’s apps 

IGD research shows quick commerce usage increased from 19% of shoppers in November 2024 to 22% in March 2026.  

One-third of users now use the channel at least weekly, while growth continues to be driven by younger and more affluent shoppers. Among shoppers aged 18-24, almost half have used quick commerce in the last four weeks. 

For a growing proportion of shoppers, particularly younger consumers, the aggregator is becoming the storefront. 41% of quick commerce shoppers begin with the aggregator they want to use, rising to 50% among 18-24-year-olds and 53% among 25-34-year-olds. In comparison, only 28% begin with a specific retailer. 

For Tesco, if shoppers increasingly start their journey on Uber Eats or Deliveroo, participation on those platforms becomes less about delivery and more about visibility at the point where purchase decisions are made. 

Online mission fragmentation is creating new opportunities 

The way shoppers use online channels is also becoming clearer. 

While 77% of quick commerce shoppers are on a food-for-now mission, 81% of shoppers using retailer websites are completing a main shop mission. In other words, the two channels are increasingly serving separate occasions rather than competing directly with one another. 

This distinction may help explain Tesco's approach. 

While aggregators are associated with immediate consumption and convenience-led purchases, Tesco has been broadening the role of Whoosh by expanding fulfilment beyond convenience stores into supermarkets. 

In turn, this has enabled larger basket sizes, same-day fulfilment and significantly greater range availability. Using large-format stores increases the available assortment from around 2,500 products to upwards of 20,000. 

As a result, Whoosh increasingly appears capable of serving a wider range of missions, from immediate needs and top-up shops through to larger and more planned grocery occasions. 

This raises the possibility that Tesco is developing a multi-route strategy for online convenience. 

Under such an approach, Whoosh remains Tesco's owned platform for larger baskets and broader grocery missions, while Uber Eats and Deliveroo help the retailer participate in high-frequency convenience occasions and reach shoppers who may not otherwise engage with Tesco's own digital ecosystem. 

The approach also aligns closely with Tesco's broader strategic ambitions. The retailer has been clear about its ambition to serve customers wherever, whenever and however they choose to shop, while continuing to strengthen its position across online channels and shopping missions. 

Tesco is ensuring it is present wherever shoppers start their purchase journey 

The significance of Tesco's Uber Eats and Deliveroo partnerships is not that they increase delivery capacity. Tesco has already spent years building that capability. 

They are significant because they increase Tesco's ability to participate in the fastest-growing part of the online grocery market. 

As shopper missions fragment, quick commerce scales and aggregators become an increasingly important starting point for discovery, Tesco's latest move looks less like a delivery partnership and more like a deliberate effort to ensure it is present wherever shoppers choose to begin their journey. 

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