Sainsbury’s has launched its new online service “occasions by Sainsbury’s” alongside a specialist butcher and fish service.

Occasions by Sainsbury’s offer shoppers bespoke products “to suit any occasion” which can be ordered for delivery alongside their regular online shop.

The range features options suited for a variety of occasions, such as birthday parties, celebrations and hosting at home, and has been designed to “take the hassle out of hosting”.

The service has been inspired by customer feedback that time, expense and effort were the biggest barriers to customers hosting events. It replaces the supermarket chain’s previous “food to order” microsite.

The supermarket explained that the integration of its new service as part of Sainsbury’s.co.uk offered customers a “one stop shop” with a year-round range of made-to-order food options.

Over 200 made-to-order products are set to be included in the occasions by Sainsbury’s range by the end of the year, with over half being brand new, according to the retailer.

Alongside its new service, Sainsbury’s is also launching an online-exclusive butcher service, offering shoppers specialist and premium cuts prepared by its butchers to order in advance.

Additionally, the grocery giant has partnered with Plymouth-based fishing company Sound Seafood to offer shoppers wild-caught fish and seafood sourced to order.

Sainsbury’s chief commercial officer Rhian Bartlett said: “At Sainsbury’s, our ambition is to be customers’ first choice for food. We know that our customers lead busy lives, with many citing a lack of time as a barrier to hosting and we’re here to make the precious time spent together as easy as possible when it comes to entertaining.

“Taking inspiration from this insight, we’ve launched the new occasions by Sainsbury’s range, to offer delicious, quality, convenient options to our customers for any occasion.”

She continued: “Our new butcher and specialist fish services perfectly complement this, offering bespoke, made-to-order food that can be ordered directly from our online grocery site, creating a new level of convenience for our customers with everything in one place.

“We will continuously add to the occasions by Sainsbury’s range in line with seasonal celebrations and everyday occasions that call for something extra special.”

The new range comes after it was reported that the grocery retailer summer products had fuelled a strong uplift in sales last week.

The supermarket saw sales rise 4.7% in the 12 weeks to 18 May, according to the latest Kantar figures, outpacing the wider grocery market as shoppers stocked up on seasonal staples.

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