Updated Date: Jun 25, 2025
By shopping online for groceries, you avoid all the hassles of physically visiting the local store and running between aisles to fetch your required products.
The United Kingdom currently has 18 operational supermarket chains, and Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s continue to dominate the food and retail market with a combined market share of over 45% in 2025.
Tesco, Asda, and Sainsbury’s are the names we hear on a daily basis, but have you ever compared their apps for performance, usability, and delivery options?
The benefits of grocery delivery apps in the UK provide ease and convenience of shopping from your comfort and at any point in time. The joy of having products delivered to your doorstep is unmatched, so this trend is prevalent.
Shopping online provides varied advantages depending on how you use and benefit from the app.
Here are the top supermarkets delivering groceries to online customers in the UK:
- Tesco
- Asda
- Sainsbury’s
- Ocado
- Morrisons
- Co-op
From Where Should I Get My Groceries Online In The UK For Same-Day Delivery
The best option for you depends on your convenience and the one with the best deals. Another element that affects is the product of your choice and slot availability for your order delivery.
Delivery slots are generally in a one to two-hour time gap, so you need not wait the whole day to receive your order to get that specific ingredient to start your cooking.Prices for delivery slots vary depending on demand and timing, generally ranging from £1 to £7, with off-peak hours being less expensive.
Many grocery supermarkets provide a one-time delivery fee payment facility on a monthly or per annum basis to receive unlimited deliveries. And order picks up facilities from their stores or directly from the warehouse.
Let’s see in detail all the three most popular supermarkets and their best grocery delivery apps in the UK.
Tesco – Every Little Helps
Tesco remains the market leader among online supermarkets in the UK with 27.5% market share. It offers a wide variety of over 50,000 grocery products available for click-and-collect or home delivery. This supermarket shopping chain has competitive prices and runs a highly-rated loyalty program for its regular customers.
The Tesco Grocery app offers high-quality products and essentials and is the most flexible online grocery delivery service in the UK. They also have a variety of in-store services, such as bakery and deli counters, as well as a pharmacy and a petrol station, all of which can be ordered through their app.
You can choose from a one-hour time slot to any other time in the day. Delivery charges depend on the time you select, meaning the rush hours are costlier than the off-peak hours.
One-hour delivery slot is charged at £3 – 7; the same order is charged at £1- 4 if you go for a flexi-saver slot. Tesco applies a £5 minimum basket charge for delivery orders under £50.
Tesco’s Delivery Saver plans start from £2.49 per month, offering unlimited free deliveries on qualifying orders.
These rewards are even clubbed with the Tesco grocery app and Tesco bank customers. On joining the Tesco grocery app, you get a Clubcard Plus membership free for the first six months.
The Delivery Saver Subscription gives unlimited free deliveries of larger orders above £40, no minimum spend bar, and can use click and collect at the store.
Tesco provides you with a coupon to compensate for your extra spending on a subscription than you would typically spend on deliveries.
Tesco Mobile App Features:
- Never miss a deal by receiving personalized notifications
- Choose from Home Delivery, Click+Collect, and Whoosh (30-minute rapid delivery in select areas)
- Real-time tracking when your order is out for delivery with accurate ETA
- Make a shopping list with live stock info and price alerts
- Build your basket straight from your favorites
- Voice search feature for hands-free shopping
- Dietary preference filters and allergen alerts
Below are the cities having the most number of Tesco retail stores in the UK.
| City | Number of Locations |
|---|---|
| London | 310 |
| Bristol | 44 |
| Manchester | 40 |
| Birmingham | 35 |
| Liverpool | 32 |
| Nottingham | 30 |
| Leeds | 30 |
| Southampton | 28 |
| Glasgow | 43 |
| Edinburgh | 26 |
Sainsbury’s – Helping Everyone Eat Better
Sainsbury’s is the UK’s second-largest online supermarket with a 15.3% market share, offering a selection of over 45,000 products for its customers. Their prices have a competitive edge, and they have an enhanced loyalty program designed specifically for their loyal customers.
The supermarket’s loyalty program named Nectar now offers digital-first features, allowing customers to earn points on their purchases that can be redeemed for discounts and other rewards. The Nectar app now integrates directly with the Sainsbury’s grocery app for a seamless experience.
Ordering online at Sainsbury’s groceries is intuitive with their redesigned app and offers competitive prices. The supermarket is known for its high-quality own-brand products, often priced lower than leading brands, with their “Taste the Difference” range winning multiple taste awards in 2024.
Sainsbury’s online shopping app and website allow you to set your dietary preferences to receive personalized recommendations of products with ingredients of your choice and suggestions on avoiding specific products. Their AI-powered recommendation engine now learns from your shopping habits to suggest recipes and meal plans.
A Quick Analysis: Online grocery shopping continues to grow with 67% of UK households now regularly ordering groceries online.
You can receive same-day delivery if you order by 1 PM (extended from 12 PM) and get groceries delivered by 7 PM, or you can store pick your order from 3 PM. Alternatively, you can order by 11 PM and collect or get delivery the next day between 7 AM to 10 PM (extended hours).
With a minimum spend of £25, you are entitled to a handy small shop, but this small basket has a delivery cost of £7.50. The bigger the orders, the less the delivery cost, which means all orders above £60 are charged £7.
Sainsbury’s offers a Delivery Pass subscription for a monthly fee of £11.50 for 3 months of midweek deliveries from Tuesday to Thursday and up to £22.50 for 3 months at any time. To use the Sainsbury’s Delivery Pass, you must spend a minimum of £40.
Sainsbury’s has expanded their eco-friendly ‘Green’ delivery slots. They deliver your order when their delivery driver is in your area for further customer deliveries, reducing carbon emissions by 25% compared to standard delivery options.
Sainsbury’s Online Shopping App Features:
- Browse, search, and shop for products with improved image recognition
- Create a new order or edit an existing one up to 11PM for next-day delivery
- Link your Nectar card and collect rewards points while you shop with automatic bonus point offers
- Get all the best offers and deals in personalized notifications
- Deliveries all over the UK, or Click & Collect your shopping from one of their stores within 30 minutes
- Recipe inspiration based on your past purchases
- Carbon footprint tracker for your grocery shopping
Cities mentioned below have the most number of Sainsbury’s retail stores in the UK
| City | Number of Locations |
|---|---|
| London | 281 |
| Leeds | 24 |
| Bristol | 23 |
| Nottingham | 22 |
| Manchester | 18 |
| Sheffield | 16 |
| York | 14 |
| Newcastle Upon Tyne | 12 |
| Edinburgh | 27 |
| Glasgow | 25 |
Asda – Save Money. Live Better.
Asda, another major online supermarket in the UK with a 14.2% market share, offers a variety of product ranges at pocket-friendly prices and an expanded loyalty program called ‘Asda Rewards’ that now provides cashback in a digital Cashpot rather than just points.
As your expectation goes, the online store prices are as low as the in-store prices, with their “Price Match Guarantee” ensuring they match hundreds of items against Tesco and Sainsbury’s. You get value for money and convenience both at the same time.
The product choices are excellent with over 40,000 items available online, and the Asda groceries app for online shopping is easy to use with an intuitive interface and even has an enhanced recipes section with video tutorials.
The departmental store has no minimum spend limitations, but you will be charged a £3 delivery fee for all orders below £40. All other orders above this will be charged between £1 to £7.50, depending on your slot choice for home delivery, with prices slightly higher during peak weekend hours.
You save on delivery charges by opting for home delivery services at less busy hours, with early weekday morning slots often available for as little as £1. You can receive your orders on the same day if you place an order by 2 PM in most areas, with their Express Delivery service now available in 300+ stores.
Alternatively, you can collect your orders from their physical stores on the same day after 1 hour of placing an online order.
Asda online grocery has a Delivery Pass subscription service, and you can choose from Anytime Delivery Pass and Midweek Annual Pass; both are packed with immense benefits for your convenience including priority access to Christmas delivery slots.
Anytime Pass costs £8.50 for 1 month (up from £8), £42.50 for a 6-month pass (up from £40), or £65 for an annual pass. The Mid-week Annual Pass costs £35, and you receive orders only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, with an additional 10% discount on selected own-brand items now included with all Delivery Passes.
Asda online operates over 630 stores across the UK (up from 600), and the company is known for its emphasis on low prices. With regular promotions, deals, and their new “Just Essentials” budget range launched in 2024, they help customers save money on their shopping during the ongoing cost-of-living challenges.
The company also has its branded products, including fresh produce from local producers and non-food items, often offered at even lower prices than other brands. Their newly expanded sustainable range “Better Planet” focuses on eco-friendly products that appeal to environmentally conscious entrepreneurs and startups.
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Asda online shopping features:
- Book, change or cancel your order while on the go until 10 PM for next-day delivery
- Quickly shop list items and add favorites to your trolley with smart reordering suggestions
- Browse rollbacks and special offers personalized to your shopping history
- Find items instantly using an improved barcode scanner or image recognition
- Discover new recipes and add ingredients straight to your trolley or Shopping List in one tap
- Business account option for startups and small businesses with invoice billing
- DReal-time stock availability with alternative suggestions
Given below are cities with the most number of ASDA retail stores in the UK.
| City | Number of Locations |
|---|---|
| London | 12 |
| Manchester | 10 |
| Leeds | 9 |
| Birmingham | 8 |
| Sheffield | 7 |
| Bristol | 7 |
| Liverpool | 7 |
| Hull | 6 |
| Coventry | 5 |
A Comparison Of All The Three Giant Supermarkets
| Description | Tesco | Sainsbury’s | Asda |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £58.2 Billion | £31.5 Billion | £21.8 Billion |
| Market Share | 27.5% | 15.4% | 14.2% |
| Physical Stores | 4710 | 1420 | 633 |
| No. Of Employees | 372,000 | 192,500 | 148,000 |
| Online Delivery Coverage | 98% of UK | 95% of UK | 97% of UK |
| Subscription Cost (Annual) | From £41.88 | From £46 | From £35 |
The shoppers are clearly indicating a switch towards a more budget-friendly store as household finances have been under a crunch recently. Online shoppers are trying on challenger deals to get better value for money, and this trend will continue as long as the cost of living crisis takes a better stand.
Incentives Advantage
You may have already developed a liking for a particular supermarket brand because you shop there regularly as it is in your nearby locations. The reason can be the offers or deals you get for online food shopping, products of your choice, good parking space, humane customer service, or their values that align with yours.
Supermarket websites and apps are mirror images of their physical store. All you change is the order delivery mode, and perceive that a particular online ecommerce platform offers more high-quality products than its rivals.
If so is the case, then it is sensible to continue with your preferred supermarket and be a loyal customer. Again, you would even be enrolled in a loyalty program with that supermarket and may have gained points and rewards.
Still, no one is bound to any single marketplace. You are free to switch to other online grocery shopping platforms, avail of the deals and discounts for new customers, and take advantage of rewards and vouchers for first-time shoppers.
Loyalty and Reward Schemes
All major supermarket stores run loyalty programs and reward schemes to retain loyal customers. You have the advantage of shopping both in-store and online for reward points. And similarly, you can exchange it over an offline or online purchase while making payments.
Tesco has Clubcard with exclusive member pricing on over 8,000 products, Sainsbury’s has Nectar Points with personalized offers through their SmartShop technology, and Asda has Asda Rewards with their unique Cashpot system, all linked with innovative and unique user benefits. These rewards can even be used for discounts at petrol pumps, restaurant bill payments, and now extend to digital services and subscriptions ideal for startups.
The reward schemes are like a cherry on top of a cake. You shop for your favorite products, get your grocery home delivered and receive price offs and discounts for purchasing from that supermarket. For business owners and entrepreneurs, these loyalty programs can significantly reduce office supply and pantry costs when used strategically.
So Which Online Supermarket App is Best in the UK for Entrepreneurs in 2025?
All the major supermarkets provide a large selection of products, and their apps have evolved beyond their physical stores with digital-first features. Nearly one-third of all grocery shopping in the UK is now done online (up from one-quarter in previous years), and supermarket brands have recognized the importance of this market trend by investing heavily in their digital infrastructure.
What supermarket brand is best differs depending on your startup’s needs and budget considerations:
- Tesco excels in variety and convenience with their rapid Whoosh delivery service ideal for last-minute office needs
- Sainsbury’s stands out for quality and sustainability features that align with modern business values
- Asda offers the best value proposition with their new business account options specifically designed for startups and SMEs
For digital entrepreneurs balancing work and life, the right grocery app can save valuable time while maintaining quality supplies for your business and home.
aPurple is Here to Help You With Grocery Delivery App Development:
So, here we come to the end of our analysis of Grocery Delivery Apps in the UK for 2025. We have shared comprehensive details about all three major supermarket apps to help startups make informed decisions.
Today, all grocery retail supply chains like Tesco groceries, Sainsbury’s groceries, and Asda groceries are successfully operating omnichannel strategies that blend online convenience with offline experiences. All supermarkets need a solid online presence with advanced features like AI recommendations, voice search, and real-time inventory to capture a significant share of this ever-increasing lucrative market, now valued at £28.5 billion annually.
Going with the trend is essential for all new startups in this niche. To reach a maximum target audience and establish your digital presence, a custom grocery delivery app tailored to your unique business model is crucial. Get in touch with our experts, who are here to build strong competitive grocery delivery apps with modern features like:
- AI-powered personalization
- Voice-enabled shopping
- Seamless payment integration
- Real-time delivery tracking
- Subscription models for recurring revenue
- Order online for products
- Select delivery slots
- Picking and packing your order at the warehouse
- Delivery to your desired address or location
- Payment through online payment gateways
- Mobile platforms: Android, iOS
- Programming languages: Kotlin for Android. SwiftUI for iOS
- Location: Google Place API, Google Maps, MapBox
- Navigation: API, MapBox Geocoding API
- Delivery time: Google Matrix API
- Database: PostgreSQL, Firebase
- Cloud environment: Azure, AWS
- Payment gateways: Braintree, PayPal, Stripe, etc.
- Real-time analytics: Datadoe, Prometheus, Kafka, Grafana
- Utilities: Firebase, Twilio, Google SDK, and Facebook SDK
Start your digital transformation journey today and position your startup at the forefront of the grocery delivery revolution in the UK!
FAQs
Tesco home delivery is a service offered by Tesco, a prominent UK-based supermarket chain, which allows customers to order groceries online and have them delivered to their doorstep.
Here’s how it works:
In summary, owning and operating a grocery delivery app in the UK can be profitable if it can attract a large and loyal customer base, minimize operational costs, generate revenue through various streams, and have less competition. However, the profitability of a grocery retail supply chain app will depend on several factors specific to the market it is operating in.
The technology stack that can be used for making an app similar to an UberEats and Deliveroo app is as follows:
Single-vendor grocery delivery apps in the UK, have development costs that may range from £15,000 to £55,000 for multi-vendor app development. Please note that the above is just the estimated cost and will differ from the original.
