RESIDENTS in Leigh will be able to order from Morrisons’ online delivery service for the first time on Monday.

The service is extending to cover 36 per cent of the UK, meaning its distinctive yellow vans will be delivering groceries to a further 650,699 homes across an area of 595 square kms that includes Leigh, Wilmslow and Liverpool.

Morrisons expects its online service to receive a head start in Leigh. Many of its shoppers, including those at its Sports Village store, already shop online but until now it has been with one of its rivals. Simon Thompson, Managing Director of Online Food at Morrisons, said: “We’re delighted to arrive in Leigh.

“We want to challenge preconceived ideas of online grocery services by surprising shoppers with just how good an experience it can be with us.”

The supermarket will look to maintain a 96 per cent success rate for delivering on-time and a product substitution rate of less than 1 per cent as it moves into Leigh.

Customers will also be able to book one hour time slots as part of Morrisons’ Great Service Everyday approach and given the opportunity to check the freshness of the products before accepting them.

Chilled beer, wine and soft drinks will also be available for delivery, after Morrisons was the first supermarket to introduce the service earlier this year, thanks to its unique ‘central pick model’ developed in partnership with Ocado.

The Morrisons.com offer replicates many in-store services provided by the company’s Market Street butchers, bakers and fishmongers. For example, a virtual butcher enables customers to choose how thickly their steak is cut.

Visit morrisons.com to determine whether their home is located within the serviced area.