Waitrose & Partners is piloting a two-hour home delivery service as it further ramps up its fulfilment credentials.

The upmarket grocer is trialling Waitrose Rapid, which allows customers to order meals for delivery within 120 minutes.

Shoppers can choose up to 20 items, which will arrive within a one-hour pre-agreed time slot.

Waitrose is testing the £5 service in parts of South and West London with last-mile logistics firm On The Dot, and could extend the scheme to other parts of the country if it proves successful, according to The Mail on Sunday.

The move comes just days after Waitrose said it was piloting a new delivery service that allows its drivers to enter shoppers’ homes and unpack their groceries for them, while they are out.

Both steps mark the latest salvos in the increasingly fierce grocery fulfilment war, which has been sparked by Amazon’s Prime Now one-hour delivery service.

Big four players Tesco and Sainsbury’s are both piloting one-hour deliveries in parts of London, which cost £7.99 and £4.99 respectively.

Online grocer Ocado is also mulling a similar move.