Woolies After Dark is now available through Uber Eats

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Woolworths, Uber Eats and Engen Quickshop & Co. partnered in an exclusive trial to make the lives of South Africans even more convenient.

Simply search “Woolies” on the Uber Eats app to reveal the much-loved meals, treats, pantry staples and flowers sold at Woolworths Foodstops, now available for delivery until midnight.

All deliveries will maintain the Woolies cold chain and shoppers can enjoy some of Woolworths' profucts through Uber Eats as they would if they shopped via Woolies Dash, with the benefit of extended hours.

Woolies After Dark is the natural next step in on-demand delivery, building on the Woolies Dash promise of convenience anytime and anywhere.

Evangelos Morris, head of Foodstops at Woolworths, remarked on the importance of maintaining Woolworths’ commitment to quality when planning this expansion. “We’re thrilled to launch a new service that allows us to reach our customers till midnight without compromising on our cold chain. A key differentiator in our on-demand delivery is our cold chain, and I’m delighted that Woolies After Dark will use the same, innovative technology found in Woolies Dash to ensure our customers enjoy only the best Woolies Exceptional Quality. Thanks to our cold chain, food delivered to our customers is as fresh as the food on our shelves, only now, they’re able to shop for more hours in a day.”

By 2025, 11.3 million South Africans are predicted to be e-commerce users, the vast majority of whom will reside in towns and cities, and are looking for convenience in their busy lives.

The growing market for convenience shopping in urban areas makes this strategic trial a game changer.

Twenty-four Woolworths Foodstops are now shoppable on Uber Eats in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape, with none more stores to be added before the end of March and more on the horizon as demand for the service grows.

“Engen Quickshop & Co. has always been about convenience. Late night delivery brings us closer to our valued customers, and we look forward to making life easier for them,” said Engen partnerships manager, Jacques Oostendorf.

Cikida Gcali, general manager for Grocery & Retail at Uber Eats, celebrated the launch, saying, “Certain parts of the country have had access to Woolworths’ food on Uber Eats during smaller trials, and the demand was exceptional. It’s clear that South Africans are eager to shop Woolworths quality on Uber Eats at times that are convenient to them. Uber, Woolworths and Engen, are synonymous with reliability and service, and I’m confident that all our users are going to love this new offering.”

As on-demand delivery continues its meteoric rise, speed of delivery has typically been the defining feature – this latest partnership suggests that the gift of time may be the next frontier.

In fact, close to 20% of sales from participating Woolworths Foodstops are a result of Woolies After Dark; the proof may well be in the pudding customers crave beyond traditional delivery hours.