As if there weren’t enough supply issues, the weather is also getting in the way. Storm Eunice has brought the delivery of groceries and meals to a standstill in the United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands. In Belgium, Albert Heijn and Deliveroo are not delivering.
Tesco sets the tone
Those who stay safely inside today but still count on getting food delivered are out of luck. Following the lead of some British colleagues, many meal couriers and grocery deliverers are cancelling their deliveries on Friday afternoon. This morning, British supermarket chain Tesco cancelled all its home deliveries in large parts of England and Wales, to the dismay of some customers.
Express delivery service Getir and Deliveroo have also confirmed to Grocery Gazette that their couriers are currently not carrying out deliveries in and around London. “At Getir, the safety and wellbeing of our employees come first, and we will continue to assess the situation and follow the latest guidance before resuming operations”, said Turancan Salur, Getir’s regional general manager. All couriers and other employees will continue to receive their full pay. Parts of the United Kingdom are currently affected by code red due to storm Eunice.
Also in Belgium and the Netherlands
In the meantime, the storm has blown over to the continent, and with it, the closures. “Due to the weather conditions, it will not be possible to order from Deliveroo this afternoon in the entire country”, said spokesperson Rodolphe Van Nuffel to Belgian news site Sud-Info. Supermarket chain Albert Heijn is also temporarily suspending its grocery deliveries. All deliveries from 3 pm onwards have been cancelled for safety reasons, “because a lot of attention is being given to storm”. Spokesperson Ann Maes admits that it is all somewhat improvised. “Therefore, we do not yet have a set of regulations on how to act in situations like these. Today will be the first test.”
Also, in the Netherlands, which will be hit hard by the storm, Albert Heijn will not deliver after 3 pm. Online supermarket Picnic is also expecting problems, reports Dutch news site nu.nl, just like other parcel delivery companies such as PostNL and DHL and meal delivery company Thuisbezorgd.
