Recipe box subscription firm Gousto is accelerating its expansion plans after consumer habits changed due to COVID-19.听听
With total online sales in the UK up by 115% YoY,听some experts have predicted that听the听shift to online is听permanent.听
In response听Gousto听is听preparing听to increase its customer fulfilment capacity more than threefold by 2022听via multiple new fulfilment centres.听
In addition to the hundreds of new roles听already filled this year, Gousto will create an additional 1,000 jobs across the business by 2022.听
Revenues for the first six months of 2020 have already surpassed the 拢83m of sales reported for the whole of听2019, which was itself a record year achieving annual growth of 67%.听听
It has seen demand double since the beginning of the year. Its fulfilment centre in Spalding, Lincolnshire delivered five听million meals in June alone, up from听2.5m in January.听
Its second automated plant will open before the end of the year, with plans for two future centres already in听the pipeline.听
The company now听expects to report a significant, maiden profit in 2020, compared to an operating loss of 拢12.5m in 2019.听
Timo Boldt, CEO and founder of Gousto, said:听鈥淭he UK recipe box market has come of age with the recent lockdown accelerating structural trends which were听already firmly underway. We have maintained record sales, even with the progressive easing of lockdown听restrictions and view this shift as part of a wider permanent redrawing of the grocery landscape.听
鈥淥vernight our market has听opened up听to a far larger audience, with new customers won over by the variety of听meals, convenience of fresh ingredients delivered directly to your door and the ease of creating a delicious homecooked dinner.听
鈥淲ith a hugely dedicated and incredible team of people, Gousto is best placed to capitalise on this market growth,听given our unrivalled technology, scale and market leading customer proposition, underpinned by access to both听external capital and our positive cashflow.听
鈥淲e will continue to invest across the business, creating 1,000 new jobs to at least triple capacity by 2022, in听response to demand and continuously improving the customer proposition, as we strive to become the UK鈥檚 most听loved way to eat dinner.鈥�听
As part of its crisis response effort, Gousto engaged DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural听Affairs) early on to work out where support was most needed.听听
As a result,听it听launched a temporary version听of its service with reduced choice, enabling the business to deliver meals to more households in need of food.听
Gousto also stepped up its support for the Trussell Trust foodbanks and homeless charity Shelter, providing the听equivalent of some 6,000 meals.听