Some new data in the grocery space showed just how explosive the growth of grocery delivery has been and which players are gobbling up market share. The big number: $6.6 billion. That’s how much people spent on online grocery sales in May 2020 alone, according to a survey by Brick Meets Click and Mercatus. That’s up more than $1 billion and nearly 25 percent from April even as people begin to reemerge from the pandemic shelter-in-place rules. David Bishop, a partner at Brick Meets Click, which is a strategic […]
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With fewer drive-thrus than some of its prime competitors, Subway has leaned hard on a third-party delivery strategy that is helping the mega-brand—with $16.2 billion in annual systemwide sales—post weekly sales gains after a year’s worth of work to roll out and integrate the four largest third-party delivery platforms into its corporate and in-store systems. Calling the brand’s efforts to keep their stores open and respond to the pandemic a grassroots effort, Subway’s Aidan Hay, vice president of operations for North America, is one part of a refreshed leadership team […]
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The humble QR code is getting a second act in this newly touchless world, as many tech providers and restaurant brands are using the blocky square codes to send menus or discount codes right to customers’ phones without any employee contact required. One such brand is Carryout Rewards, which is a startup using flyers with QR codes to give restaurants the ability to market directly to third-party delivery customers, with the goal of converting them to in-house, native ordering channels. Dreamed up by off-road racer and social media expert Jeff […]
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Uber Eats is making moves to capture a greater portion of the catering market with a new Vouchers for Uber Eats program that gives businesses and salespeople a way to provide free or discounted meals to employees or customers, whether they’re back in the office, on the road or still confined to their homes. Rolled out under the Uber for Business brand, which also lets companies provide rides for clients or employees that are charged directly to a corporate account, the new program is being positioned as a way to […]
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Huge grocers like Kroger, Albertsons, Publix and Whole Foods have similarly massive advantages over small, independent grocery stores that don’t have teams of software engineers to build and manage channels for customers looking to buy groceries online for pickup or delivery. As new-age options proliferate in the $680 billion U.S. grocery industry, Mercato is one brand helping smaller players get their inventories online in a matter of days. Mercato CEO Bobby Brannigan previously made a mint in the college textbook industry, before selling the business and turning his attention to […]
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Have you ever wondered why more businesses can’t respond to customers with text messages, rather than playing the game of getting stuck on hold or being dumped into an overloaded voicemail box? A company called Numa has rolled out a system that lets retailers and restaurants text customers back automatically using artificial intelligence, and it’s positioning the service as an ideal situation for businesses currently struggling under a barrage of landline calls. Looking to Asian countries where it’s commonplace for businesses to text their customers, Numa sees the pandemic as […]
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During a day-long event that included delivery, technology and restaurant experts, analysts from Cowen’s Restaurant & Food Technology Summit dove into the latest metrics showing where restaurants are heading after the worst impacts of the pandemic recede. One underlying theme, which has become a common refrain is that the restaurant industry has seen two to three years worth of acceleration over these last two, very painful months. Recapping a fireside chat with Shake Shack, the popular burger brand reported it has seen digital sales comprise 84 percent of its sales […]
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In the ongoing negotiations between Grubhub and Uber, it seems like only minor concessions remain between now and the signing table. According to Bloomberg, “people familiar with the matter” say one key negotiating point remains: What’s known as a “breakup fee.” But in this case, it’s a reverse breakup fee where the acquiring company, Uber, would pay the target, Grubhub, a fee if the deal falls through. Typically this sort of fee is put into place only if an acquiring company backs out as a way to make good for […]
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Boise might not have a reputation for world-class dining or cutting-edge technology, but Crave Delivery looks to change that mindset. In a confluence of fine dining, new delivery trends and new restaurant operational models, the company just launched in Boise and two surrounding cities. Menu items with a halo of James Beard and Travel & Leisure are made by local chefs in a ghost kitchen facility, then delivered by the company. All the consumer interfacing is done through a nice-looking app. According to the company website, “chefs who were previously […]
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Ohio-based Marco’s Pizza is benefiting from the inherent appeal of pizza delivery during the pandemic. While it had to make some modifications for contactless service, including adding that option to its online ordering platform, delivery and carryout were already ingrained in Marco’s operations—and in consumer behavior.
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