Deliveroo has partnered with WH Smith to offer stationery, books and exam materials through speedy delivery bikes, which will start in Reading and expand elsewhere.

The retailer will provide 600 products to deliver in under 20 minutes, following other retailer-delivery partnerships such as Morrisons and GoPuff.

During the pandemic, WH Smith sales tripled online over spring and summer 2020 with next-day delivery. The move however, will connect local stores to homes starting 28 March.

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Next week Deliveroo will begin delivering WH Smith products in Cambridge, Brighton, Oxford, Leeds, St Albans and Guildford as well as Richmond, Chiswick and Muswell Hill in London.

“We’re always exploring new ways to delight our customers both in store and online by providing them with an exceptional shopping experience,”  WH Smith high street business managing director Sean Toal said.

During the pandemic the delivery service catered for grocers such as Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Tesco’s One Stop convenience store chain and the Co-op. On top of this, it delivered for Majestic Wine and Lloyds Pharmacy.

In January, Aldi ditched Deliveroo as the pandemic eased and shoppers returned to the shops. However, grocery delivery services have garnered its own relevance and category with the rise of Getir, GoPuff and Gorillas.