Having appetised punters with food, Deliveroo is hoping they can knock on everyone's door with a new, less digestible offering: electronics, pet food, DIY kit, flowers and toys.

Revealing the move as a "new online retail offer which will bring consumers a world of retail options on-demand", Deliveroo Shopping will mark "a major new step in [the company's] growth journey and a natural extension of its offer to consumers," the company said, "offering consumers what they want and need for a wider set of occasions with the same on-demand convenience they're used to at mealtimes".

In a move that may head off fears of anonymous anti-local trade, high street and local shops will be integral to the 'Deliveroo Shopping' strategy, with consumers able to choose retail items from small businesses as well as supermarkets, all delivered by Deliveroo's network of 80,000 riders in the UK.

Eric French, Deliveroo's Chief Operating Officer, said: "Just as Deliveroo transformed the way people eat, we're set to do the same to how people shop, bringing more of the local neighbourhood to people's doors. And this is just in time for Christmas, so whether people need an emergency last-minute gift or just want to order whenever and wherever it suits them, Deliveroo's got your back."

Max Britten, Managing Director, Screwfix UK & ROI, added: "We're delighted to partner with Deliveroo for this exciting innovation. We pride ourselves on being convenient for customers and this gives us a new opportunity to support them with products when they need them."

Headquartered in London, Deliveroo was founded in 2013 by Will Shu and Greg Orlowski. The company makes revenue by charging restaurants a commission fee, in addition to charging customers a per-order fee for delivery. Today's announcement follows the fresh signing of an exclusive partnership with Screwfix.

The company said that it will expand options for customers over the coming months, offering even more items across categories including pharmacy, homeware, petcare and more, while supermarket brands already on Deliveroo, such as Waitrose, Co-op, Sainsbury's and Morrisons are extending their ranges to bolster this new channel for retail selection. Boots is also adding an extended Christmas gifting range.

Consumers can already buy Lego at more than 100 grocery sites across the Deliveroo platform. Combined, this will mean customers nationwide can now find more products than ever at their fingertips.

● Screwfix is the UK's leading retailer of trade tools and hardware products with stores within 20 minutes of 95% of the UK population. With Home Improvement set to be an important category for Deliveroo, Screwfix said it will join the platform soon with an initial range of up to 500 products, "helping provide a quick solution to issues at home from plumbing, electrical, decorating and more".