Shipping policy

Shipping & Collection Policy

We offer a range of delivery and collection options, including Next Working Day Delivery, Weekend Delivery, Offshore Delivery, Local Same Day Delivery and free Click & Collect.

Please check the information below carefully before placing your order, particularly when ordering fresh or perishable products.

Delivery Options at a Glance

Free Click & Collect
Order before 2:30pm for same-day collection from our Reading collection point.

Next Working Day Delivery
Order before 2:30pm Monday–Thursday for same-day dispatch.

Saturday Delivery
Order before 2:30pm Friday.

Sunday Delivery
Order before 2:30pm Saturday.

Offshore Two Business Day Delivery
Orders using this service are dispatched Sunday–Wednesday only.

Local Same Day Delivery
Available 7 days a week to selected local postcodes. Order before 2:30pm.

Where possible, we use DPD and FedEx as our main courier partners. Depending on your location, order and service availability, we may also use UPS, Parcelforce or another logistics provider.

Important: We strongly recommend checking your order and storing chilled, frozen and other perishable products appropriately as soon as they arrive.

Delivery Charges

Order Value	Next Working Day	Saturday/Sunday	Offshore Two Business Day
£0.00–£24.99	£4.99	£9.99	£15.99
£25.00–£39.98	£4.99	£7.99	£19.99*
£39.99+	FREE*	£4.99	£24.99*

* Promotional shipping rates are available for a limited time and may be withdrawn without notice.

Rice & Flour: There is currently a maximum of two 5kg–10kg bags per order.

Dispatch Times

Orders placed before 2:30pm Monday–Thursday will normally be dispatched the same day.

Next Working Day orders placed between 2:30pm Thursday and 2:30pm Saturday will be dispatched on Sunday.

Orders placed after 2:30pm Saturday will be dispatched on Monday.

For weekend services:

Saturday Delivery: order by 2:30pm Friday.
Sunday Delivery: order by 2:30pm Saturday.
Offshore Two Business Day Delivery: dispatches Sunday–Wednesday only.

Delivery times are measured from the date your order is dispatched, not the date the order is placed.

Delivery Areas

Our standard delivery services are available to eligible UK addresses, subject to courier restrictions.

Deliveries to the Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Scilly Islands and Scottish Highlands & Islands may take approximately two working days, and Saturday/Sunday delivery is not available to these locations.

Northern Ireland deliveries are currently suspended while we establish a new logistics process.

Click & Collect

Click & Collect is free of charge and is currently available from our Reading location only.

Collection address:
24A Portman Road
Reading
Berkshire
RG30 1EA

Sat Nav postcode: RG30 1DZ

Opening hours:
Monday–Sunday, 12pm–6pm

Click & Collect is not currently available from our Slough branch.

When Will My Order Be Ready?

Orders placed before 2:30pm Monday–Sunday will normally be ready for collection the same day.

Orders placed after 2:30pm will normally be ready after 12pm the following day.

You will receive:

An order confirmation after placing your order.
A second email when your order is ready for collection.

Please wait until you receive your Ready for Collection email before travelling to the store. If you arrive earlier, your order may not be ready and you may need to wait.

Collecting Your Order

When you arrive:

Park in the car park.
Walk around to the collection-point door.
Ring the bell and a member of staff will assist you.

Please have your order number or confirmation email ready.

If no member of staff is available, please call 0118 334 5197.

You will be asked to sign a Collection Confirmation Receipt. Please check your order before signing.

Someone else may collect your order on your behalf, provided they have your order confirmation number or collection email.

Uncollected Orders

Orders will be held for 48 hours from the collection date.

Please be aware that perishable products may be stored in ambient conditions during this period, which may affect their quality.

After 48 hours, uncollected orders will be returned to stock where possible and a refund will be arranged for eligible, resaleable products.

Perishable products, including fruit and vegetables, will not be refunded.

Uncollected orders are also subject to a 20% restocking charge.

Courier Deliveries

You will receive a dispatch confirmation email containing your tracking number once your order leaves us.

Courier delivery times are estimates and cannot be guaranteed by Exotic E Store, as delays may occur outside our control.

DPD

For DPD deliveries, customers who provide an email address or mobile number will normally receive a one-hour delivery window.

If nobody is available to accept the delivery, DPD may leave the parcel with a neighbour or in a safe place selected by the driver.

The driver's chosen safe place is not controlled by Exotic E Store. DPD may provide GPS and photographic proof of delivery.

We strongly recommend arranging for somebody to be available to receive your parcel, particularly when ordering perishable products.

Please do not change the delivery date or time through the DPD app for perishable orders. Perishable parcels held overnight may be disposed of by the courier, and we cannot accept liability where disposal results from a customer-requested delivery change.

FedEx

FedEx customers who provide an email address or mobile number will normally receive delivery tracking and an estimated delivery window.

If nobody is available, FedEx may leave the parcel with a neighbour or in a safe place selected by the driver.

The driver's chosen safe place is outside Exotic E Store's control. GPS and/or photographic proof of delivery may be provided.

We strongly recommend arranging for somebody to be available to receive your parcel.

Please do not change the delivery date or time for perishable orders. If a perishable parcel is held and subsequently disposed of following a customer-requested delivery change, we cannot accept liability for the disposed goods.

Weekend DPD Deliveries

The same conditions apply to DPD Saturday and Sunday deliveries.

You will normally receive tracking information and a delivery window. If nobody is available, your parcel may be left with a neighbour or in a safe place selected by the driver.

Delivery timeframes are estimates and cannot be guaranteed.

UPS

UPS Standard Delivery normally takes 1–2 business days from dispatch.

Delivery timeframes are estimates and cannot be guaranteed.

Flats & Apartment Buildings

For high-rise flats and larger apartment buildings, courier drivers will assess access when they arrive.

Your parcel may be delivered to the:

building entrance, kerbside, reception, lobby or mail room.

We cannot instruct courier drivers to deliver directly to an individual apartment door.

Please monitor your tracking information so you know when your delivery is expected. Where available, photographic proof of delivery will be uploaded to your tracking information.

Bank & Public Holidays

UPS, DPD and Parcelforce services do not operate as normal on bank and public holidays.

Dispatch schedules may therefore change around these dates. Orders affected by a bank or public holiday will be dispatched on the next available working day.

During periods of unusually high demand, courier delays may also occur outside our control.

For further information, contact info@ExoticEstore.com.

Local Same Day Delivery

Our Same Day Delivery service is currently being trialled and is available for addresses with postcodes beginning:

RG2, RG5, RG6, RG40, RG41 and RG42

Orders must be placed before 2:30pm for same-day delivery.

The service is available 7 days a week, with deliveries normally taking place between 3pm and 10pm.

Same Day Delivery Charges

Order Value	Delivery Charge
£0.01–£4.98	£8.99
£4.99+	FREE*

* Promotional rate and subject to change.

You will receive an SMS or email when your order has been dispatched, together with a tracking link.

Drivers will deliver to the door but cannot enter your property for health and safety reasons.

Please check your order at the door. The driver will take a photograph as proof of delivery, and any visible damage or shortages should be reported to the driver.

Drivers cannot accept product returns. Unwanted products must be returned separately at your own expense, subject to our applicable returns terms.

If nobody is available to receive the order, the driver may leave it in a safe place. Goods left in a safe place are at the customer's risk, so we strongly recommend arranging for somebody to be available.

Tracking Your Order

Once your order has been dispatched, we will send you an email confirming that your shipment is on its way.

The email will contain a tracking number or tracking link so you can follow your delivery.

Incorrect Delivery Addresses

Please carefully check your delivery address before completing your order.

We strongly recommend not relying solely on browser or device autofill, as this can sometimes enter an incorrect or outdated address.

If you notice that you have entered the wrong address, please call us urgently on 0118 334 5197 within 15 minutes of placing your order. We will try to amend it where possible.

Once an order has entered the dispatch process, we may be unable to change the address.

Incorrect address details may result in a failed delivery and additional redelivery charges.

Out-of-Stock Items

If an ordered item is unavailable, a refund for the unavailable item will be processed accordingly.

Damaged Items

Click & Collect Orders

Please check your order when collecting it.

If an item is damaged, tell a member of staff immediately. Where possible, we will provide a replacement. If a replacement is unavailable, a refund will be offered.

If you discover damage after returning home, please contact us within 24 hours of collection.

Email info@ExoticEstore.com with:

Your order number
A clear photograph showing the damaged item

Our team will then contact you regarding the next steps.

Delivered Orders

We carefully pack orders to minimise the risk of damage during transit.

If an item arrives damaged, please notify us within 24 hours of receiving your order.