Deliveroo has just signed an exclusive delivery deal with Relish, the FMCG product sampling specialist, purchased in 2021 by Whistl. As part of the agreement, brands will be able to send difficult to handle samples, such as chilled, alcohol, full-size and short-dated products alongside Deliveroo deliveries direct to consumers.

“We work with brands and agencies alike to deliver effective consumer product trials and are so thrilled that Deliveroo will take such a central role in our offering. Deliveroo are pioneers in the UK for levelling up the ‘at home food ordering experience’. We have admired them for such a long time and although we have worked together on an ad hoc basis for over four years, this exclusivity deal simplifies the sampling landscape for our clients,” said Natalie Betts, Relish Managing Director.

Brands will benefit from a simplified supply chain as they will be able to deliver to one address, while Relish will handle the delivery directly to the Deliveroo sites, which will then fulfil alongside the customers’ order. Alcohol brands, for example, can use this new marketing channel to benefit from the age gating process used by Deliveroo, which simplifies the process of getting their items to consumers. Moreover, agencies can also gain access to digital in-app assets for a smoot operational running.

The new channel could have a transformative effect on the way FMCG brands interact with customers by timing deliveries to coincide with the Deliveroo sponsorship of Saturday Night Takeaway or with specific programmes on TV or events, such as specific games during forthcoming Qatar Football World Cup.

Deliveroo demographic is typically aged 18-35 and opens an opportunity to target consumers both within the home or at work. Relish has trialled the initiative with Deliveroo for customers including PepsiMax, Mikes hard seltzer, Caleno and, Arm & Hammer.

Initially the new service will be open to brands targeting households in London, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham, Bristol and Brighton, offering 300,000 potential sampling opportunities per month. Due to their relationship with grocery brands, there are opportunities to place alongside food or grocery orders via the Deliveroo Hop service.