UK convenience retailer the Co-operative Group has introduced Peckish, a new rapid delivery grocery application to assist independent retailers with their online customer service.  

Peckish is designed to help small-scale, often family-run grocery stores or other co-operative retail societies, offer an online shopping and delivery option to local patrons. 

Peckish seeks to address the challenges such retailers encounter when attempting to establish an online presence, such as financial constraints, operational scale and resource limitations.  

With this initiative, retailers can expand their reach on the internet, thereby supporting community shopping habits and bolstering high street commerce. 

Following a successful trial in 2024 involving 30 stores, the Co-op has committed an initial investment of £1m for the first year of Peckish's operation.   

The company aims to enrol more than 1,000 stores in the app's inaugural year and anticipates a potential increase to three times that number by the third year. 

Through Peckish, consumers can select from a curated range of products made available online by individual retailers.  

Retailers have control over pricing, allowing for parity with in-store prices, and can decide on self-delivery or utilise Co-op's order management system alongside delivery partners such as Just Eat and Uber Direct for expedited local deliveries within 30 minutes. 

Integration with a retailer’s existing electronic point of sale (EPOS) system is a feature of Peckish, streamlining processes pricing and inventory management.  

Retailers joining the platform will receive support with data analysis, trend insights from Co-op's quick commerce experts, marketing materials, digital assets for social media promotion and in-store signage. 

Co-op food managing director Matt Hood stated: “We know that smaller local shops, like our own, operate at the heart of the local community life. More than a shop, they are a community hub, creating value locally through job creation, community participation and their support of local suppliers. The ‘shop local’ sentiment is strong amongst consumers, and Peckish can help more retailers connect quickly online with their customers, providing greater consumer choice locally, and promoting healthier and more viable high streets and communities.” 

Co-op has partnered with major platforms Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats, and reaches more than 86% of the UK population with online grocery options through its own platform and strategic partners.  

In October 2024, Co-op partnered Quadient to install more than 30 Parcel Pending lockers across its stores, enhancing customer convenience.