ALEXANDRIA, Va.—SPAR UK is partnering with Deliveroo, a British online food delivery company, covering all 2,160 SPAR stores in England, Scotland and Wales, according to a news release. Customers will have access to around 2,000 food and drink options in as little as 20 minutes.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Deliveroo. This deal will enable SPAR stores to continue their rapid expansion into on-demand delivery,” said SPAR UK Strategy and Operations Director Lee Johnson.

During the pandemic, SPAR stores around the U.K. provided a variety of e-commerce delivery and call-and-collect solutions to local consumers.

“We are looking to accelerate this trend and cater to even more customers in the vicinity of SPAR stores by partnering with Deliveroo. Our partnership will enable us to reach more customers, meet their ever-changing shopping habits and drive significant revenue uplift for stores. As our visibility on the Deliveroo platform grows, so will the opportunity for us to differentiate from our competitors,” said Johnson.

Walmart Canada recently announced a partnership with Instacart, providing customers with a virtual convenience store, with delivery as fast 30 minutes.

“It’s the latest example of how Walmart is unlocking its stores’ capabilities and leveraging its existing footprint to enhance its omnichannel experience for customers and provide more choice,” Walmart said in a release.

In the U.S., Kwik Trip is now offering carryout, curbside pickup and delivery services through the Kwik Rewards mobile app. These services will be available at all 800+ Kwik Trip and Kwik Star locations across Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and all newly built stores moving forward. Delivery will be powered in most markets through a preferred partnership with DoorDash.

Digital orders have risen to one-third of total convenience store and restaurant food orders, up from just 12% pre-pandemic, according to a Paytronix report. While in-store sales remain down by nearly half, digital orders have remained elevated at 113% of pre-pandemic levels.

While delivery was king before and during the height of the pandemic, more recent data indicate that takeout orders now dominate digital orders, with numbers even higher than they were pre-pandemic. Takeout jumped from about 35% of orders in January 2020 to 55% in March of 2022, a trend that appears to be increasing.

Another recent Paytronix/PYMNTS report found that there is a correlation between technology adoption and eagerness to join loyalty programs or subscription services. The report found that 60% of high-tech consumers participate in loyalty programs at quick-service restaurants, and 75% do so at table-service restaurants, compared with average consumers who participate in them at QSRs (39%) and table-service restaurants (44%).

Here’s what c-stores are doing to make delivery work for their businesses.