Discounter Aldi has made its first foray into the online grocery market, offering food parcels on its website for vulnerable customers during the coronavirus pandemic. 

The grocer said the parcels will be available for home delivery from tomorrow and would contain 22 products including tinned soup, rice and pasta. Each pack will also contain antibacterial handwash and a four-pack of toilet roll.

The parcels will only be available to order on Aldi’s website and will retail for £24.99 including delivery and are limited to one per customer.

While the discounter has sold wines and other non-food items online in the past, the parcels are its first-ever online grocery delivery service. 

Aldi managing director for corporate responsibility Fritz Walleczek said: “We are committed to providing quick, safe and affordable access to food for all our customers and understand that, for some, visiting one of our stores is not an option at the moment.

“We’re constantly looking for new and better ways to support our customers in these uncertain times and I’m hopeful that these food parcels will make life a little easier for some of the country’s most at-risk people.”

Aldi follows the likes of Morrisons and Marks & Spencer that have also made pre-packed food parcels available for home delivery since the UK’s coronavirus lockdown began.