John Lewis customers can now return their purchases to Waitrose delivery drivers at the same time as they receive their groceries. The service means shoppers can return clothing and home purchases without leaving the comfort of their own home.

Starting yesterday on June 17, Waitrose.com shoppers can now hand back parcels they have received from Johnlewis.com or Click & Collect for the driver to process immediately after their online grocery delivery has been made. The introduction of the service follows a successful trial last year in 21 shops and customers of the supermarket’s customer fulfilment centre in Coulsdon.

Ged Keogh-Peters, partner and director supply chain strategy for the John Lewis Partnership, said: "Following the success of the trial we are pleased to be extending this service to even more customers. We are excited to be at the forefront of new services to make online shopping as convenient and quick as possible."

It forms part of the John Lewis Partnership’s strategy to leverage its supply chain and offer additional convenience to customers of both brands. The company's research suggested that the majority of John Lewis customers want at least three different ways to return unwanted goods. and John Lewis customers can return online orders in John Lewis and Waitrose shops, through Collect+, Royal Mail and MyHermes.

John Lewis & Partners is also running a trial of its Next Day Click & Collect service with Co-op in areas where the John Lewis Partnership has a lower shop presence. This follows the success of the partnership with Booths, which launched last year and is now available in eight Booths shops.