Growing demand for online grocery shopping and rising consumer expectations presented Waitrose with the difficult challenge of optimising its vast delivery network while preserving the exceptional service, quality and commitment to sustainability that define the brand.

Planning efficient routes across hundreds of stores and thousands of deliveries is a precise balancing act. Countless interconnected variables must be evaluated simultaneously, from delivery windows and vehicle capacities to driver availability and traffic conditions, to determine the most effective outcome.

With the ambitious targets of maximising delivery slot availability and improving key operational metrics – including efficiency, costs, mileage and emissions – Waitrose partnered with us to leverage our proven expertise in AI-powered optimisation.

Collaborating closely with the Waitrose ops teams over a period of 3 months, from January 2025 to March, we analysed a vast range of data, including vehicle capacities and characteristics, delivery volumes, demand peaks, traffic conditions, IT constraints and customer preferences.

We then stress-tested the network under its most demanding conditions. Waitrose’s Coulsdon hub presented a particularly complex challenge, with 130 vehicles departing from a single site alongside the extreme peaks experienced during the Christmas trading period.

With the data gathered, inaccuracies resolved and challenges defined, we applied machine learning and optimisation algorithms to model different scenarios and identify the best possible outcomes. We then refined and tested the solution extensively to ensure it was ready to perform at scale.

Implementing AI across a network of this size is as much about people as it is about technology. To ensure the project’s success, we worked in close partnership with Waitrose throughout, combining technical expertise with operational insight to support central business teams, build confidence in the new approach, and embed AI into day-to-day decision-making.

Since introducing the solution, Waitrose has achieved measurable improvements across several key operational metrics:

• 8% reduction in delivery mileage year-on-year
• 12% increase in drops per route
• 4 percentage point increase in customer delivery slot availability, despite rising delivery volumes
• Overall 10% reduction in operational costs within six months

Today, the solution powers Waitrose’s delivery network across 168 stores offering online deliveries, two Customer Fulfilment Centres and a fleet of 1,300 vans, supporting millions of home deliveries each year.

At Waitrose’s major Coulsdon site, the solution increased today-for-tomorrow delivery slot availability by approximately 50%, giving customers significantly greater flexibility. Greater operational flexibility also enabled Waitrose to safely extend its online order cut-off from 10pm to 11pm, creating significant additional sales opportunities.

“By harnessing AI-powered technology, we can now offer customers more precise and convenient delivery times while significantly reducing our environmental impact. This is a brilliant example of how technology can help us deliver on our promises of both exceptional service and sustainability.”

Pav Kalia, Head of Change Delivery and Technology, Waitrose

The project’s ongoing success reflects the strength of the partnership between Waitrose and Satalia. Together, we continue to identify new opportunities for innovation and optimisation across the network, improving efficiency, enhancing customer experience and supporting Waitrose’s sustainability goals.