As aggregators look to drive spending despite consumers\u2019 belt-tightening behaviors, Grubhub is using new digital features to drive up check sizes.
\nThe company announced earlier this month the launch of several new features, including an in-app digital wallet that shows consumers the credits they have available, such as gift cards and rewards benefits. In an interview with PYMNTS, Kiran Chandran, the aggregator\u2019s vice president of product and design, discussed how the marketplace hopes this transparency will encourage shoppers to trade up.
\n\u201cBy seeing it first thing, users are able to better assess the credit they have available, which they then keep top of mind throughout the ordering process,\u201d Chandran said. \u201cFor example, a user could open the app, see their available funds and be pleasantly surprised that they have more credit than they originally thought. This might encourage them to add a side to an entree or get a dessert or drink with their meal as well.\u201d
\nThe move comes as, amid economic pressures, consumers tend to make more conservative choices. For instance, the PYMNTS Intelligence study \u201cConnected Dining: Rising Costs Push Consumers Toward Pickup\u201d revealed that 52% of consumers whose most recent restaurant purchase was from a quick-service restaurant (QSR) were more likely to order for pickup versus delivery because of inflation. Plus, 43% of those who had most recently ordered from a restaurant with table service said the same.
\nAlso included in the app changes was a move to make the homepage experience more personalized to the individual user, which comes as shoppers seek tailored shopping experiences but are often disappointed by the ones they are presented with.
\nAccording to the PYMNTS Intelligence report \u201cPersonalized Offers Are Powerful \u2014 but Too Often Off-Base,\u201d based on a survey of over 2,500 U.S. consumers, 83% of consumers expressed interest in receiving personalized offers. Despite this interest, only 44% of consumers who received tailored offers found them highly relevant to their needs.
\n\u201cBy focusing on variables such as user history, time of day and location, we aim to provide recommendations that resonate with the user, getting them through the funnel faster and without the headache of thinking about what they want to order,\u201d Chandran told PYMNTS.
\nMost consumers do not turn to aggregators in the hopes of spending time discovering new restaurants. Rather, most customers already know what they want to order. PYMNTS Intelligence data showed that 58% have already decided what restaurant they are going to purchase from before logging in to an aggregator most or all of the time.
\nOverall, the goal of these features is not just to make consumers spend more per order but also to boost customer frequency Chandran said. By making it easier for consumers to see and use their available credits, and by offering more tailored recommendations, Grubhub aims to turn casual users into loyal customers, even in the face of economic challenges.
\n\u201cWhat pain points can we solve?\u201d Chandran said. \u201cHow can we make ordering easier for them? When you approach updates that way, you undoubtedly increase loyalty since users have a better experience every time, which makes them want to come back.\u201d
\nThe post Grubhub VP Says in-App Wallet Could Boost Average Check appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "As aggregators look to drive spending despite consumers\u2019 belt-tightening behaviors, Grubhub is using new digital features to drive up check sizes.\nThe company announced earlier this month the launch of several new features, including an in-app digital wallet that shows consumers the credits they have available, such as gift cards and rewards benefits. In an interview with PYMNTS, Kiran Chandran, the aggregator\u2019s vice president of product and design, discussed how the marketplace hopes this transparency will encourage shoppers to trade up.\n\u201cBy seeing it first thing, users are able to better assess the credit they have available, which they then keep top of mind throughout the ordering process,\u201d Chandran said. \u201cFor example, a user could open the app, see their available funds and be pleasantly surprised that they have more credit than they originally thought. This might encourage them to add a side to an entree or get a dessert or drink with their meal as well.\u201d\nThe move comes as, amid economic pressures, consumers tend to make more conservative choices. For instance, the PYMNTS Intelligence study \u201cConnected Dining: Rising Costs Push Consumers Toward Pickup\u201d revealed that 52% of consumers whose most recent restaurant purchase was from a quick-service restaurant (QSR) were more likely to order for pickup versus delivery because of inflation. Plus, 43% of those who had most recently ordered from a restaurant with table service said the same.\nAlso included in the app changes was a move to make the homepage experience more personalized to the individual user, which comes as shoppers seek tailored shopping experiences but are often disappointed by the ones they are presented with.\nAccording to the PYMNTS Intelligence report \u201cPersonalized Offers Are Powerful \u2014 but Too Often Off-Base,\u201d based on a survey of over 2,500 U.S. consumers, 83% of consumers expressed interest in receiving personalized offers. Despite this interest, only 44% of consumers who received tailored offers found them highly relevant to their needs.\n\u201cBy focusing on variables such as user history, time of day and location, we aim to provide recommendations that resonate with the user, getting them through the funnel faster and without the headache of thinking about what they want to order,\u201d Chandran told PYMNTS.\nMost consumers do not turn to aggregators in the hopes of spending time discovering new restaurants. Rather, most customers already know what they want to order. PYMNTS Intelligence data showed that 58% have already decided what restaurant they are going to purchase from before logging in to an aggregator most or all of the time.\nOverall, the goal of these features is not just to make consumers spend more per order but also to boost customer frequency Chandran said. By making it easier for consumers to see and use their available credits, and by offering more tailored recommendations, Grubhub aims to turn casual users into loyal customers, even in the face of economic challenges.\n\u201cWhat pain points can we solve?\u201d Chandran said. \u201cHow can we make ordering easier for them? When you approach updates that way, you undoubtedly increase loyalty since users have a better experience every time, which makes them want to come back.\u201d\nThe post Grubhub VP Says in-App Wallet Could Boost Average Check appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2024-08-09T11:04:21-04:00", "date_modified": "2024-08-11T20:55:55-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Grubhub.jpg", "tags": [ "Aggregators", "credit", "delivery", "digital wallets", "economy", "Featured News", "food and beverage", "grubhub", "inflation", "Kiran Chandran", "Mobile Applications", "Mobile Wallets", "News", "PYMNTS News", "QSRs", "Restaurants" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=2025645", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/aggregators/2024/instacart-expands-services-partners-with-uber-eats-to-integrate-restaurant-orders/", "title": "Instacart Expands Services, Partners With Uber Eats to Integrate Restaurant Orders", "content_html": "On Tuesday (Aug. 6), Instacart\u00a0announced an expansion of its service portfolio as part of its strategy to solidify its position in the online grocery market. The company has forged a new partnership with Uber Eats, enabling customers to order both groceries and restaurant meals through the Instacart app.
\nThis integration aims to attract new users and boost order frequency, the company said as it released its earnings report. In addition, Instacart is broadening its retail collaborations with new partners such as Sally Beauty and The Home Depot, while also upgrading its Storefront technology to drive growth for these retailers.
\nIn her second-quarter letter to shareholders, CEO Fidji Simo noted Instacart is investing in an \u201cambitious portfolio of longer-term bets that are starting to show promise and have the ability to unlock new growth opportunities. We already offer the best grocery selection, and now we\u2019ve added hundreds of thousands of restaurants to Instacart through our partnership with Uber Eats. This means customers can get groceries for the week and dinner for the night all from our app.\u201d
\nEarly data, Simo added in the letter, \u201caffirms our belief that restaurants can be incremental to grocery by attracting new customers to our ecosystem and increasing order frequency for existing ones, especially Instacart+ members. We\u2019re also seeing higher average basket sizes for restaurant orders than those on other platforms. Longer term, we believe we can create a flywheel effect where restaurants help grow our grocery orders too.\u201d
\nTo enhance customer convenience, Instacart introduced a $0 delivery option through its new SuperSaver delivery windows, catering to cost-sensitive consumers. The company is also refining its Instacart Business initiative to better serve companies with larger and more frequent orders.
\nInstacart \u2014 which saw its gross transaction volume (GTV) rise 10%, to $8.2 billion in the second quarter \u2014 launched eCommerce storefronts for more than 30 new retailers, including regional favorites like Bi-Rite, Coborn\u2019s, and Woodman\u2019s. Additionally, Instacart expanded service offerings with major partners, including EBT SNAP support to four additional large retailers, implementing nationwide pickup and virtual convenience delivery for Albertsons\u2019 largest banners, and extending FoodStorm ordering kiosks pilot to more Sprouts Farmers Market locations.
\nTechnological innovation remains a priority for Instacart, with a focus on its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered Caper Carts. These smart carts, which are being piloted in both the U.S. and Austria, feature digital screens designed to streamline the checkout process and improve the overall shopping experience. Instacart plans to scale this technology to further elevate customer convenience.
\nIn response to growing consumer concerns about grocery costs, Instacart is implementing several affordability measures. These include integrating digital flyers into its app to offer in-store savings and optimizing retailer pricing strategies to provide better deals. The company is also developing more affordable delivery options to encourage broader adoption of grocery delivery services.
\nOn the advertising front, Instacart broadened its capabilities by introducing new ad formats such as Recipes, Occasions, and Bundles, which aim to enhance brand visibility and consumer engagement. The company is also expanding its retail media offerings across platforms like YouTube and Meta, offering a comprehensive advertising solution for consumer-packaged goods (CPG) brands.
\nInstacart\u2019s growth in its business customer base is marked by new partnerships with HVN Travel Group, PetSmart\u00a0and Industrious, alongside features tailored to business clients.
\n\u201cOverall, our business is performing well, and we\u2019re making good progress on new growth initiatives that will set us up as an ever more critical partner to retailers and advertisers,\u201d Simo added in the letter.
\nThe post Instacart Expands Services, Partners With Uber Eats to Integrate Restaurant Orders appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "On Tuesday (Aug. 6), Instacart\u00a0announced an expansion of its service portfolio as part of its strategy to solidify its position in the online grocery market. The company has forged a new partnership with Uber Eats, enabling customers to order both groceries and restaurant meals through the Instacart app. \nThis integration aims to attract new users and boost order frequency, the company said as it released its earnings report. In addition, Instacart is broadening its retail collaborations with new partners such as Sally Beauty and The Home Depot, while also upgrading its Storefront technology to drive growth for these retailers.\nIn her second-quarter letter to shareholders, CEO Fidji Simo noted Instacart is investing in an \u201cambitious portfolio of longer-term bets that are starting to show promise and have the ability to unlock new growth opportunities. We already offer the best grocery selection, and now we\u2019ve added hundreds of thousands of restaurants to Instacart through our partnership with Uber Eats. This means customers can get groceries for the week and dinner for the night all from our app.\u201d\nEarly data, Simo added in the letter, \u201caffirms our belief that restaurants can be incremental to grocery by attracting new customers to our ecosystem and increasing order frequency for existing ones, especially Instacart+ members. We\u2019re also seeing higher average basket sizes for restaurant orders than those on other platforms. Longer term, we believe we can create a flywheel effect where restaurants help grow our grocery orders too.\u201d\nTo enhance customer convenience, Instacart introduced a $0 delivery option through its new SuperSaver delivery windows, catering to cost-sensitive consumers. The company is also refining its Instacart Business initiative to better serve companies with larger and more frequent orders.\nInstacart \u2014 which saw its gross transaction volume (GTV) rise 10%, to $8.2 billion in the second quarter \u2014 launched eCommerce storefronts for more than 30 new retailers, including regional favorites like Bi-Rite, Coborn\u2019s, and Woodman\u2019s. Additionally, Instacart expanded service offerings with major partners, including EBT SNAP support to four additional large retailers, implementing nationwide pickup and virtual convenience delivery for Albertsons\u2019 largest banners, and extending FoodStorm ordering kiosks pilot to more Sprouts Farmers Market locations. \nTechnological innovation remains a priority for Instacart, with a focus on its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered Caper Carts. These smart carts, which are being piloted in both the U.S. and Austria, feature digital screens designed to streamline the checkout process and improve the overall shopping experience. Instacart plans to scale this technology to further elevate customer convenience.\nIn response to growing consumer concerns about grocery costs, Instacart is implementing several affordability measures. These include integrating digital flyers into its app to offer in-store savings and optimizing retailer pricing strategies to provide better deals. The company is also developing more affordable delivery options to encourage broader adoption of grocery delivery services.\nOn the advertising front, Instacart broadened its capabilities by introducing new ad formats such as Recipes, Occasions, and Bundles, which aim to enhance brand visibility and consumer engagement. The company is also expanding its retail media offerings across platforms like YouTube and Meta, offering a comprehensive advertising solution for consumer-packaged goods (CPG) brands.\nInstacart\u2019s growth in its business customer base is marked by new partnerships with HVN Travel Group, PetSmart\u00a0and Industrious, alongside features tailored to business clients. \n\u201cOverall, our business is performing well, and we\u2019re making good progress on new growth initiatives that will set us up as an ever more critical partner to retailers and advertisers,\u201d Simo added in the letter.\nThe post Instacart Expands Services, Partners With Uber Eats to Integrate Restaurant Orders appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2024-08-06T20:42:44-04:00", "date_modified": "2024-08-06T20:42:44-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Instacart-Uber-Eats.jpg", "tags": [ "Caper Carts", "delivery", "digital transformation", "Earnings", "ecommerce", "Fidji Simo", "grocery aggregator", "grocery marketplace", "Instacart", "instacart business", "News", "PYMNTS News", "Retail", "storefront", "SuperSaver", "Uber Eats", "Aggregators" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=2015193", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/aggregators/2024/aggregators-race-for-deal-seekers-spending-intensifies-with-grubhubs-entry/", "title": "Aggregators\u2019 Race for Deal Seekers\u2019 Spending Intensifies With Grubhub\u2019s Entry", "content_html": "Grubhub has jumped into the summer deals frenzy, following the lead of competitors DoorDash and Shipt, as on-demand delivery aggregators battle to capture a larger share of the seasonal market.
\nIn an effort to invigorate consumer demand during the typically slow summer months, the Just Eat Takeaway.com-owned aggregator has become the latest to announce a summer savings event, with its recently announced two-week \u201c20 Years of Deals\u201d event timed alongside its two-decade anniversary. The event, which kicked off Wednesday (July 17), includes item giveaways from popular quick-service restaurant (QSR) brands such as McDonald\u2019s, Taco Bell and Wendy\u2019s, among others, as well as 20% off discounts from a range of restaurant and retail merchants.
\nThe announcement of these deals follows on DoorDash\u2019s bringing back its annual members-only savings event, \u201cSummer of DashPass,\u201d which began in June and ends Wednesday (July 24), offering different deals for each of the five weeks.
\nPlus, Target-owned on-demand delivery aggregator Shipt, in addition to being involved in its parent company\u2019s \u201cTarget Circle Week,\u201d also had its own \u201cSummer of Savings\u201d event, which ran from mid-June to early July, with deals on grocery, pharmacy and pet supply products, among others.
\nEconomically, the promotions reflect a broader trend of consumers seeking cost savings. With inflation impacting disposable incomes, customers are more price sensitive. In fact, PYMNTS Intelligence\u2019s new study \u201cThe Last Transaction: Family Spending Habits Reveal Merchant Opportunities in Retail and Travel,\u201d found that spending is down among retailers\u2019 best customers. At the end of 2022, consumers who are married with children in the household were spending $150 on retail products a month, more than twice the next-biggest spenders (those who are single with children, at $74). Yet by May of this year, that figure was down to $90. Aggregators, recognizing this trend of belt tightening, are tailoring their deals to appeal to budget-conscious consumers, hoping to drive frequency and volume of orders.
\nAdditionally, such initiatives are not merely about driving sales with deal-seeking shoppers. These promotions serve as customer retention strategies in a fiercely competitive market. By offering value through deals, aggregators aim to maintain customer loyalty and deter users from migrating to competitors. PYMNTS Intelligence\u2019s report last year, \u201cConsumer Inflation Sentiment: The False Appeal of Deal-Chasing Consumers,\u201d found that 72% of consumers choose merchants for retail products based on price and discounts, and 67% said the same of merchants for grocery products.
\nShipt, particularly, has noted the trend of consumers waiting for times of anticipated deals to make purchases, with Katie Stratton, the company\u2019s chief growth officer, telling PYMNTS in an interview, \u201cIn the past year, we\u2019ve seen engagement in our promotions with higher-than-expected volume around popular seasonal moments.\u201d
\nGrubhub\u2019s entry into the summer savings frenzy underscores the intensifying battle among on-demand delivery aggregators to capture consumer spending during a period of economic uncertainty. As inflation continues to pressure disposable incomes, these companies are leveraging strategically timed promotions to retain customer loyalty and drive order volumes. With shoppers increasingly prioritizing price and discounts, Grubhub, DoorDash, and Shipt are positioning themselves to meet the demands of budget-conscious consumers, aiming to boost engagement and secure a competitive edge in a crowded market.
\nThe post Aggregators\u2019 Race for Deal Seekers\u2019 Spending Intensifies With Grubhub\u2019s Entry appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "Grubhub has jumped into the summer deals frenzy, following the lead of competitors DoorDash and Shipt, as on-demand delivery aggregators battle to capture a larger share of the seasonal market.\nIn an effort to invigorate consumer demand during the typically slow summer months, the Just Eat Takeaway.com-owned aggregator has become the latest to announce a summer savings event, with its recently announced two-week \u201c20 Years of Deals\u201d event timed alongside its two-decade anniversary. The event, which kicked off Wednesday (July 17), includes item giveaways from popular quick-service restaurant (QSR) brands such as McDonald\u2019s, Taco Bell and Wendy\u2019s, among others, as well as 20% off discounts from a range of restaurant and retail merchants.\nThe announcement of these deals follows on DoorDash\u2019s bringing back its annual members-only savings event, \u201cSummer of DashPass,\u201d which began in June and ends Wednesday (July 24), offering different deals for each of the five weeks.\nPlus, Target-owned on-demand delivery aggregator Shipt, in addition to being involved in its parent company\u2019s \u201cTarget Circle Week,\u201d also had its own \u201cSummer of Savings\u201d event, which ran from mid-June to early July, with deals on grocery, pharmacy and pet supply products, among others.\nEconomically, the promotions reflect a broader trend of consumers seeking cost savings. With inflation impacting disposable incomes, customers are more price sensitive. In fact, PYMNTS Intelligence\u2019s new study \u201cThe Last Transaction: Family Spending Habits Reveal Merchant Opportunities in Retail and Travel,\u201d found that spending is down among retailers\u2019 best customers. At the end of 2022, consumers who are married with children in the household were spending $150 on retail products a month, more than twice the next-biggest spenders (those who are single with children, at $74). Yet by May of this year, that figure was down to $90. Aggregators, recognizing this trend of belt tightening, are tailoring their deals to appeal to budget-conscious consumers, hoping to drive frequency and volume of orders.\nAdditionally, such initiatives are not merely about driving sales with deal-seeking shoppers. These promotions serve as customer retention strategies in a fiercely competitive market. By offering value through deals, aggregators aim to maintain customer loyalty and deter users from migrating to competitors. PYMNTS Intelligence\u2019s report last year, \u201cConsumer Inflation Sentiment: The False Appeal of Deal-Chasing Consumers,\u201d found that 72% of consumers choose merchants for retail products based on price and discounts, and 67% said the same of merchants for grocery products.\nShipt, particularly, has noted the trend of consumers waiting for times of anticipated deals to make purchases, with Katie Stratton, the company\u2019s chief growth officer, telling PYMNTS in an interview, \u201cIn the past year, we\u2019ve seen engagement in our promotions with higher-than-expected volume around popular seasonal moments.\u201d\nGrubhub\u2019s entry into the summer savings frenzy underscores the intensifying battle among on-demand delivery aggregators to capture consumer spending during a period of economic uncertainty. As inflation continues to pressure disposable incomes, these companies are leveraging strategically timed promotions to retain customer loyalty and drive order volumes. With shoppers increasingly prioritizing price and discounts, Grubhub, DoorDash, and Shipt are positioning themselves to meet the demands of budget-conscious consumers, aiming to boost engagement and secure a competitive edge in a crowded market.\nThe post Aggregators\u2019 Race for Deal Seekers\u2019 Spending Intensifies With Grubhub\u2019s Entry appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2024-07-23T11:23:00-04:00", "date_modified": "2024-07-23T11:23:00-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Grubhub.jpg", "tags": [ "Aggregators", "Consumer Spending", "delivery", "delivery aggregators", "discounts", "doordash", "food delivery", "grubhub", "Just Eat Takeaway", "News", "on-demand delivery", "PYMNTS News", "Shipt", "Target" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=2011596", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/aggregators/2024/doordash-uber-eats-summer-vacation-season-travel-offerings/", "title": "Aggregators Take on Vacation Season With Travel Offerings", "content_html": "As the vacation season heats up, on-demand delivery aggregators are expanding their horizons with tailored travel offerings, aiming to capture consumers\u2019 excitement to get out of dodge.
\nDoorDash, for instance, is using customers\u2019 wanderlust to drive enthusiasm for its paid membership program and its subscribers-only seasonal sales event, Summer of DashPass, with the final week kicking off Thursday (July 18). Participants in the event are entered into various weekly sweepstakes, which include several travel prizes.
\n\u201cSummer is all about exploring new adventures, embracing spontaneity, and making unforgettable memories with loved ones,\u201d DoorDash President and Chief Operating Officer Prabir Adarkar said in a statement.
\nOne sweepstakes entered participants to win a trip to London and (according to People) four tickets to Taylor Swift\u2019s concert therein. Other prizes include a trip to Miami with luxury accommodations for six people and a trip for two people to Bangkok, Beverly Hills, Dubai and Mexico City.
\nUber, meanwhile, is expanding its food and beverage business beyond just its Uber Eats vertical into mobility, offering Champagne tours in France in partnership with Champagne houses Perrier-Jou\u00ebt and G.H. Mumm, dubbed Uber Bubbles. The experience, which accommodates up to four people, costs a flat fee of 200 euros (about $220).
\n\u201cWe are thrilled to partner with Uber this summer to offer riders the chance to discover our Champagne houses via Uber Bubbles,\u201d Fran\u00e7ois-Xavier Morizot, vice president of Champagne for G.H. Mumm and Perrier-Jou\u00ebt, said in a statement.
\nUber also is targeting summer beach- and park-goers with its live location sharing for delivery, announced earlier this year, which enables consumers to order to places where a simple street address may not give enough information.
\nAlso looking to get in on shoppers\u2019 park and poolside spending, Instacart and Shipt are touting their summer offerings. The former has its summer 2024 hub with snacks, ice cream, beverages and foods for the grill, among other products. The latter advertised a range of products such as sunscreen and beach towels in its Summer of Savings members event, from late June to early August.
\nPlus, Uber, DoorDash, Instacart and Shipt all have travel goods such as suitcases listed on their marketplaces.
\nThese moves come as many consumers plan their summer travels. PYMNTS Intelligence\u2019s \u201cSummer Travel Special Report,\u201d which drew from a survey of more than 2,200 United States consumers, found that 62% plan to get away in the summer months, and 27% plan to take multiple trips.
\nPlus, consumers with the most cash to burn travel most of all. Three-quarters of those who earn more than $100,000 annually and a similar share of those who do not live paycheck to paycheck are planning to go on, or have gone on, trips this summer.
\nMoreover, consumers use aggregators more when they are on vacation, per the \u201cTracking the Impact of Digital Tools on Food Tourism and Travel Preferences\u201d installment of the PYMNTS Intelligence Connected Dining series. The study found that while only 4.4% of consumers used aggregators at home for their most recent restaurant purchases, 16% of consumers always use them when traveling.
\nFor all PYMNTS retail coverage, subscribe to the daily Retail Newsletter.
\nThe post Aggregators Take on Vacation Season With Travel Offerings appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "As the vacation season heats up, on-demand delivery aggregators are expanding their horizons with tailored travel offerings, aiming to capture consumers\u2019 excitement to get out of dodge.\nDoorDash, for instance, is using customers\u2019 wanderlust to drive enthusiasm for its paid membership program and its subscribers-only seasonal sales event, Summer of DashPass, with the final week kicking off Thursday (July 18). Participants in the event are entered into various weekly sweepstakes, which include several travel prizes.\n\u201cSummer is all about exploring new adventures, embracing spontaneity, and making unforgettable memories with loved ones,\u201d DoorDash President and Chief Operating Officer Prabir Adarkar said in a statement.\nOne sweepstakes entered participants to win a trip to London and (according to People) four tickets to Taylor Swift\u2019s concert therein. Other prizes include a trip to Miami with luxury accommodations for six people and a trip for two people to Bangkok, Beverly Hills, Dubai and Mexico City.\nUber, meanwhile, is expanding its food and beverage business beyond just its Uber Eats vertical into mobility, offering Champagne tours in France in partnership with Champagne houses Perrier-Jou\u00ebt and G.H. Mumm, dubbed Uber Bubbles. The experience, which accommodates up to four people, costs a flat fee of 200 euros (about $220).\n\u201cWe are thrilled to partner with Uber this summer to offer riders the chance to discover our Champagne houses via Uber Bubbles,\u201d Fran\u00e7ois-Xavier Morizot, vice president of Champagne for G.H. Mumm and Perrier-Jou\u00ebt, said in a statement.\nUber also is targeting summer beach- and park-goers with its live location sharing for delivery, announced earlier this year, which enables consumers to order to places where a simple street address may not give enough information.\nAlso looking to get in on shoppers\u2019 park and poolside spending, Instacart and Shipt are touting their summer offerings. The former has its summer 2024 hub with snacks, ice cream, beverages and foods for the grill, among other products. The latter advertised a range of products such as sunscreen and beach towels in its Summer of Savings members event, from late June to early August.\nPlus, Uber, DoorDash, Instacart and Shipt all have travel goods such as suitcases listed on their marketplaces.\nThese moves come as many consumers plan their summer travels. PYMNTS Intelligence\u2019s \u201cSummer Travel Special Report,\u201d which drew from a survey of more than 2,200 United States consumers, found that 62% plan to get away in the summer months, and 27% plan to take multiple trips.\nPlus, consumers with the most cash to burn travel most of all. Three-quarters of those who earn more than $100,000 annually and a similar share of those who do not live paycheck to paycheck are planning to go on, or have gone on, trips this summer.\nMoreover, consumers use aggregators more when they are on vacation, per the \u201cTracking the Impact of Digital Tools on Food Tourism and Travel Preferences\u201d installment of the PYMNTS Intelligence Connected Dining series. The study found that while only 4.4% of consumers used aggregators at home for their most recent restaurant purchases, 16% of consumers always use them when traveling.\nFor all PYMNTS retail coverage, subscribe to the daily Retail Newsletter.\nThe post Aggregators Take on Vacation Season With Travel Offerings appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2024-07-16T11:25:07-04:00", "date_modified": "2024-07-16T11:25:07-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/DoorDash.jpg", "tags": [ "Aggregators", "delivery", "doordash", "ecommerce", "Instacart", "News", "PYMNTS News", "Retail", "Shipt", "Summer of DashPass", "travel", "Uber" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=1973228", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/aggregators/2024/on-demand-delivery-aggregators-expand-their-alcohol-businesses/", "title": "On-Demand Delivery Aggregators Expand Their Alcohol Businesses", "content_html": "As delivery aggregators look to become go-to destinations for a wider range of on-demand needs, key players are expanding their alcoholic beverage options.
\nTake, for instance, DoorDash. Earlier this month, the company announced the launch of alcoholic beverage delivery in Maryland, following changes to the law in the state that made doing so possible.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re thrilled to be bringing alcohol delivery to Maryland, providing even more consumers with a convenient, responsible way to enjoy their favorite drinks at home,\u201d Erik Ragotte, the aggregator\u2019s general manager of alcohol and convenience, said in a statement. \u201cWhether it\u2019s locally brewed craft beers or bottles of beloved wines, we hope that this new offering can showcase the best that Maryland has to offer.\u201d
\nThe news came days after Target-owned retail aggregator Shipt announced a partnership with The Save Mart Companies to deliver from more than 170 Save Mart, Lucky California and FoodMaxx stores, including alcoholic beverage delivery from \u201cnearly all\u201d participating locations.
\n\u201cOur partnership with their three beloved brands offers shoppers convenient, same-day delivery of fresh, value-driven products,\u201d Shipt Chief Growth Officer Katie Stratton said in a statement. \u201cTogether, we look forward to the continued expansion of our West Coast footprint.\u201d
\nIn the spring, Uber Eats expanded its partnership with Rite Aid to include alcohol delivery in eight states from nearly 1,000 of the pharmacy retailer\u2019s stores across California, Idaho, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia and Washington. At the start of the year, Uber shut down its alcohol-specific delivery marketplace, Drizly, focusing on the selection of its core Uber Eats marketplace.
\nExpanding alcohol delivery services is not without its challenges. The industry is heavily regulated, with laws varying by state and even by municipality. Aggregators must navigate a complex web of regulations concerning the sale and delivery of alcoholic beverages. This includes obtaining the necessary licenses, adhering to age verification requirements, and complying with restrictions on delivery hours and locations.
\nOverall, consumers are getting more of their foods and beverages digitally. The 2024 edition of PYMNTS Intelligence\u2019s \u201cHow the World Does Digital\u201d report drew on responses from 67,000 consumers across 11 countries that make up approximately half of the world\u2019s gross domestic product, examining their digital behaviors across various parts of their lives. The findings showed that 44% of consumers engage with aggregators at least once a month, and 1 in 4 do so at least weekly. Plus, 40% of consumers go online grocery shopping monthly and 20% do so weekly.
\nThe convenience factor is a key driver behind the expansion of alcohol delivery services. This trend was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw an uptick in online alcohol sales as lockdowns and social distancing measures kept people at home. A PYMNTS Intelligence 2021 survey of nearly 2,000 consumers found that nearly half of consumers who bought alcohol online for same-day delivery were doing so more often than pre-pandemic.
\nThe expansion of alcohol delivery services by aggregators is poised to continue as consumer demand for convenience and variety remains strong. As technology advances and regulatory environments evolve, the potential for growth in this sector is substantial. Aggregators that can successfully navigate the complexities of this market and deliver a seamless, reliable service will be well-positioned to capture a share of the lucrative alcohol retail market.
\nFor all PYMNTS retail coverage, subscribe to the daily Retail Newsletter.
\nThe post On-Demand Delivery Aggregators Expand Their Alcohol Businesses appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "As delivery aggregators look to become go-to destinations for a wider range of on-demand needs, key players are expanding their alcoholic beverage options.\nTake, for instance, DoorDash. Earlier this month, the company announced the launch of alcoholic beverage delivery in Maryland, following changes to the law in the state that made doing so possible.\n\u201cWe\u2019re thrilled to be bringing alcohol delivery to Maryland, providing even more consumers with a convenient, responsible way to enjoy their favorite drinks at home,\u201d Erik Ragotte, the aggregator\u2019s general manager of alcohol and convenience, said in a statement. \u201cWhether it\u2019s locally brewed craft beers or bottles of beloved wines, we hope that this new offering can showcase the best that Maryland has to offer.\u201d\nThe news came days after Target-owned retail aggregator Shipt announced a partnership with The Save Mart Companies to deliver from more than 170 Save Mart, Lucky California and FoodMaxx stores, including alcoholic beverage delivery from \u201cnearly all\u201d participating locations.\n\u201cOur partnership with their three beloved brands offers shoppers convenient, same-day delivery of fresh, value-driven products,\u201d Shipt Chief Growth Officer Katie Stratton said in a statement. \u201cTogether, we look forward to the continued expansion of our West Coast footprint.\u201d\nIn the spring, Uber Eats expanded its partnership with Rite Aid to include alcohol delivery in eight states from nearly 1,000 of the pharmacy retailer\u2019s stores across California, Idaho, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia and Washington. At the start of the year, Uber shut down its alcohol-specific delivery marketplace, Drizly, focusing on the selection of its core Uber Eats marketplace.\nExpanding alcohol delivery services is not without its challenges. The industry is heavily regulated, with laws varying by state and even by municipality. Aggregators must navigate a complex web of regulations concerning the sale and delivery of alcoholic beverages. This includes obtaining the necessary licenses, adhering to age verification requirements, and complying with restrictions on delivery hours and locations.\nOverall, consumers are getting more of their foods and beverages digitally. The 2024 edition of PYMNTS Intelligence\u2019s \u201cHow the World Does Digital\u201d report drew on responses from 67,000 consumers across 11 countries that make up approximately half of the world\u2019s gross domestic product, examining their digital behaviors across various parts of their lives. The findings showed that 44% of consumers engage with aggregators at least once a month, and 1 in 4 do so at least weekly. Plus, 40% of consumers go online grocery shopping monthly and 20% do so weekly.\nThe convenience factor is a key driver behind the expansion of alcohol delivery services. This trend was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw an uptick in online alcohol sales as lockdowns and social distancing measures kept people at home. A PYMNTS Intelligence 2021 survey of nearly 2,000 consumers found that nearly half of consumers who bought alcohol online for same-day delivery were doing so more often than pre-pandemic.\nThe expansion of alcohol delivery services by aggregators is poised to continue as consumer demand for convenience and variety remains strong. As technology advances and regulatory environments evolve, the potential for growth in this sector is substantial. Aggregators that can successfully navigate the complexities of this market and deliver a seamless, reliable service will be well-positioned to capture a share of the lucrative alcohol retail market.\nFor all PYMNTS retail coverage, subscribe to the daily Retail Newsletter.\nThe post On-Demand Delivery Aggregators Expand Their Alcohol Businesses appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2024-07-09T10:37:55-04:00", "date_modified": "2024-07-09T10:37:55-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/aggregators-DoorDash-alcohol-delivery.jpg", "tags": [ "Aggregators", "delivery", "doordash", "ecommerce", "food and beverage", "News", "PYMNTS News", "Retail", "Rite Aid", "Shipt", "The Save Mart Companies", "Uber Eats" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=1966869", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/aggregators/2024/doordash-and-deliveroo-acquisition-talks-ended-on-valuation-disagreement/", "title": "DoorDash and Deliveroo Acquisition Talks Ended on Valuation Disagreement", "content_html": "A potential combination of meal delivery companies\u00a0Doordash and\u00a0Deliveroo was reportedly discussed but rejected in May.
\nDoordash approached Deliveroo about acquiring that company at that time, but talks between the two firms ended when they couldn\u2019t agree on a valuation, Reuters\u00a0reported Tuesday (June 25).
\nThere are no talks going on now, according to the report.
\nThe online food delivery sector has seen a slowdown since the pandemic, and that has weighed on Deliveroo\u2019s shares, which have fallen by 68% since their high in August 2021, the report said.
\nThe British company has 180,000 restaurant and retail partners, and a network of 140,000 riders, per the report.
\nIt was reported in 2022 that Doordash considered buying Deliveroo at that time.
\nIn 2021, Doordash acquired its Finnish rival, Wolt, according to the report.
\nIt was reported in May that\u00a0food delivery platforms have seen more than $20 billion\u00a0in losses since going public.
\nShares in the four biggest, publicly traded U.S./European delivery apps \u2014 DoorDash, Delivery Hero,\u00a0Just Eat Takeaway and Deliveroo \u2014 are trading below the peaks they reached during the pandemic.
\nBack then, those companies were fueled by growth during the lockdown; now they find themselves grappling with a cutback in consumer spending.
\nDoorDash is among the same-day\u00a0delivery aggregators that continue to look for everyday categories to drive usage, leading them to step up their grocery presence.
\nFor example, DoorDash partnered with\u00a0Aldi on a promotion in which consumers who order meat or seafood are entered to win a $250 credit to get a private chef to prepare their order.
\nIn another effort to make its grocery offerings more accessible, DoorDash announced a partnership with\u00a0Forage to expand Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) acceptance on its marketplace.
\nSimilarly, Deliveroo has been pushing past its restaurant roots. The company has been growing its\u00a0retail offering and its advertising business alongside its restaurant and grocery businesses.
\nThe firm launched Deliveroo Shopping in November, enabling customers to order retail items such as electronics and toys, and has indicated plans to expand into other categories like pharmacy, home care and pet care.
\nThe post DoorDash and Deliveroo Acquisition Talks Ended on Valuation Disagreement appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "A potential combination of meal delivery companies\u00a0Doordash and\u00a0Deliveroo was reportedly discussed but rejected in May.\nDoordash approached Deliveroo about acquiring that company at that time, but talks between the two firms ended when they couldn\u2019t agree on a valuation, Reuters\u00a0reported Tuesday (June 25).\nThere are no talks going on now, according to the report.\nThe online food delivery sector has seen a slowdown since the pandemic, and that has weighed on Deliveroo\u2019s shares, which have fallen by 68% since their high in August 2021, the report said.\nThe British company has 180,000 restaurant and retail partners, and a network of 140,000 riders, per the report.\nIt was reported in 2022 that Doordash considered buying Deliveroo at that time.\nIn 2021, Doordash acquired its Finnish rival, Wolt, according to the report.\nIt was reported in May that\u00a0food delivery platforms have seen more than $20 billion\u00a0in losses since going public.\nShares in the four biggest, publicly traded U.S./European delivery apps \u2014 DoorDash, Delivery Hero,\u00a0Just Eat Takeaway and Deliveroo \u2014 are trading below the peaks they reached during the pandemic.\nBack then, those companies were fueled by growth during the lockdown; now they find themselves grappling with a cutback in consumer spending.\nDoorDash is among the same-day\u00a0delivery aggregators that continue to look for everyday categories to drive usage, leading them to step up their grocery presence.\nFor example, DoorDash partnered with\u00a0Aldi on a promotion in which consumers who order meat or seafood are entered to win a $250 credit to get a private chef to prepare their order.\nIn another effort to make its grocery offerings more accessible, DoorDash announced a partnership with\u00a0Forage to expand Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) acceptance on its marketplace.\nSimilarly, Deliveroo has been pushing past its restaurant roots. The company has been growing its\u00a0retail offering and its advertising business alongside its restaurant and grocery businesses.\nThe firm launched Deliveroo Shopping in November, enabling customers to order retail items such as electronics and toys, and has indicated plans to expand into other categories like pharmacy, home care and pet care.\n\nThe post DoorDash and Deliveroo Acquisition Talks Ended on Valuation Disagreement appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2024-06-25T18:42:08-04:00", "date_modified": "2024-06-25T18:42:08-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/DoorDash.jpg", "tags": [ "acquisitions", "Aggregators", "deliveroo", "delivery", "doordash", "food and beverages", "News", "PYMNTS News", "Restaurants", "What's Hot" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=1893570", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/aggregators/2024/payu-receives-rbi-authorization-to-operate-as-payments-aggregator/", "title": "PayU Receives RBI\u00a0Authorization to Operate as Payments Aggregator", "content_html": "PayU\u00a0has received in-principle authorization from the\u00a0Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a payments aggregator.
\nWith this approval, the digital financial services provider can start onboarding new merchants to its platform, PayU said in a Tuesday (April 23) press release emailed to PYMNTS.\u00a0
\n\u201cThis license is pivotal in our mission to establish a globally renowned digital payment infrastructure rooted in India,\u201d\u00a0Anirban Mukherjee, CEO\u00a0of PayU, said in the release. \u201cAligned with the government\u2019s Digital India initiative and the RBI\u2019s forward-thinking regulations, we are dedicated to driving digitization and financial inclusion, particularly for small merchants.\u201d
\nMukherjee attributed PayU\u2019s receipt of in-principle\u00a0authorization to the company\u2019s focus on compliance and corporate governance, per the release.
\nBusinesses across sectors and of different sizes\u00a0have expressed interest in joining PayU\u2019s platform, the release said.
\nPayU Payments operates businesses that are regulated by the RBI and offers digital payment solutions for the Indian market, according to the release. The company aims to serve eCommerce brands, banks\u00a0and consumers.
\n\u201cThe RBI\u2019s in-principle\u00a0approval underpins the company\u2019s mission to build a world-leading digital payment infrastructure that originates from India, for India and the world, accelerating its next growth phase in India,\u201d the press release said.
\nIn another expansion of its services, PayU said in September that it partnered with Meta-owned messaging app\u00a0WhatsApp\u00a0to bring\u00a0in-chat payments\u00a0to India.
\nThe company said at the time that this partnership would provide WhatsApp-enabled PayU merchants with access to the PayU Checkout platform, which lets customers use more than 150 payment options, including cards, Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and net banking, directly within the WhatsApp platform, with no need for redirection.
\nAlso in September, PayU India introduced new tools to help businesses address various challenges like cart abandonment\u00a0and scalability troubles.
\nThe company\u2019s CommercePro stack contains features designed to increase conversions by making payments easier, provide data insights about consumers to promote customer acquisition, and deliver artificial intelligence (AI)-powered recommendations to enhance cross-selling, upselling and personalized customer interactions.
\n\u201cThis comprehensive toolkit, fueled by Indian innovation and technology built out of India, addresses real world pain points with new avenues for success,\u201d\u00a0Manas Mishra, chief product officer at PayU, said in a press release announcing the launch of the tools.
\nThe post PayU Receives RBI\u00a0Authorization to Operate as Payments Aggregator appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "PayU\u00a0has received in-principle authorization from the\u00a0Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a payments aggregator.\nWith this approval, the digital financial services provider can start onboarding new merchants to its platform, PayU said in a Tuesday (April 23) press release emailed to PYMNTS.\u00a0\n\u201cThis license is pivotal in our mission to establish a globally renowned digital payment infrastructure rooted in India,\u201d\u00a0Anirban Mukherjee, CEO\u00a0of PayU, said in the release. \u201cAligned with the government\u2019s Digital India initiative and the RBI\u2019s forward-thinking regulations, we are dedicated to driving digitization and financial inclusion, particularly for small merchants.\u201d\nMukherjee attributed PayU\u2019s receipt of in-principle\u00a0authorization to the company\u2019s focus on compliance and corporate governance, per the release.\nBusinesses across sectors and of different sizes\u00a0have expressed interest in joining PayU\u2019s platform, the release said.\nPayU Payments operates businesses that are regulated by the RBI and offers digital payment solutions for the Indian market, according to the release. The company aims to serve eCommerce brands, banks\u00a0and consumers.\n\u201cThe RBI\u2019s in-principle\u00a0approval underpins the company\u2019s mission to build a world-leading digital payment infrastructure that originates from India, for India and the world, accelerating its next growth phase in India,\u201d the press release said.\nIn another expansion of its services, PayU said in September that it partnered with Meta-owned messaging app\u00a0WhatsApp\u00a0to bring\u00a0in-chat payments\u00a0to India.\nThe company said at the time that this partnership would provide WhatsApp-enabled PayU merchants with access to the PayU Checkout platform, which lets customers use more than 150 payment options, including cards, Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and net banking, directly within the WhatsApp platform, with no need for redirection.\nAlso in September, PayU India introduced new tools to help businesses address various challenges like cart abandonment\u00a0and scalability troubles.\nThe company\u2019s CommercePro stack contains features designed to increase conversions by making payments easier, provide data insights about consumers to promote customer acquisition, and deliver artificial intelligence (AI)-powered recommendations to enhance cross-selling, upselling and personalized customer interactions.\n\u201cThis comprehensive toolkit, fueled by Indian innovation and technology built out of India, addresses real world pain points with new avenues for success,\u201d\u00a0Manas Mishra, chief product officer at PayU, said in a press release announcing the launch of the tools.\nThe post PayU Receives RBI\u00a0Authorization to Operate as Payments Aggregator appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2024-04-23T15:25:53-04:00", "date_modified": "2024-04-23T15:25:53-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PayU.jpg", "tags": [ "APAC", "india", "international", "News", "Payment Methods", "payments aggregator", "PayU", "PYMNTS News", "RBI", "Reserve Bank Of India", "What's Hot", "Aggregators" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=1884282", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/aggregators/2024/aggregators-expand-into-highly-consumable-retail-categories-drive-frequency/", "title": "Aggregators Expand Into Highly Consumable Retail Categories to Drive Frequency", "content_html": "As restaurant and grocery aggregators push beyond their original categories to grow their penetration in retail, some are turning to consumables overall to drive purchasing frequency.
\nTake, for instance, nutritional supplements, which many shoppers consume daily. On Thursday (Apr. 4),\u00a0Uber\u00a0announced Thursday (April 4) a\u00a0partnership\u00a0with\u00a0The Vitamin Shoppe\u00a0to make the health and wellness retailer\u2019s products available on the\u00a0Uber Eats\u00a0marketplace.
\n\u201cNutrition needs are personal and often urgent,\u201d\u00a0Beryl Sanders, director of U.S. grocery and retail partnerships at Uber, said in a statement. \u201cThat\u2019s one of the reasons we\u2019re most excited to bring The Vitamin Shoppe onto Uber Eats to help consumers find what they need on the app with a few taps \u2014 from vitamins and supplements to sports nutrition and on-the-go healthy snacks and drinks \u2014 and have it delivered to their doorsteps within hours, if not minutes.\u201d
\nDoorDash, too, is expanding in consumable categories such as beauty, with many consumers going through skincare and cosmetics products regularly. The aggregator announced last month the addition of a range of\u00a0beauty merchants\u00a0to its platform, partnering with\u00a0Sally Beauty\u00a0and\u00a0MAC Cosmetics\u00a0and expanding its existing partnership with\u00a0Sephora.
\n\u201cConsumers\u00a0come to us today for a need-it-now use case,\u201d\u00a0Fuad Hannon, the aggregator\u2019s vice president of new verticals, told PYMNTS last month. \u201c\u2018I\u2019m out of mascara. I\u2019m out of lipstick. How can I get it delivered?\u2019 And the core of DoorDash\u2019s platform has been an on-demand 30-minute delivery\u2026 We\u2019re really excited about what beauty offers our consumers in terms of beginning to think about DoorDash for not just consumption categories like grocery or alcohol or restaurants, but increasingly non-consumption categories.\u201d
\nIn February, the aggregator expanded its presence in another consumable category, pet food, announcing a same-day delivery\u00a0partnership\u00a0with\u00a0Pet Supplies Plus, the United States\u2019 largest independent pet retailer, to deliver on demand from 720 of the chain\u2019s stores.
\nWith additions of this kind, aggregators can attract a wider customer base and increase revenue streams. Diversification also reduces the risk associated with dependency on a single vertical.
\nPlus, entering new verticals enables on-demand delivery aggregators to tap into additional markets. For instance, branching into pet supply delivery can attract pet parents who may not have previously used the platform for their own food needs.
\nAdditionally, on-demand delivery aggregators\u2019 fleets of delivery drivers and technology infrastructures can be costly to maintain. Expanding into new verticals allows these companies to maximize these resources, improving profitability. For example, during off-peak hours for food delivery, drivers can be deployed for cosmetics or vitamin deliveries, optimizing their productivity.
\nMany shoppers seek digital convenience. PYMNTS Intelligence\u2019s \u201c2024 Global Digital Shopping Index: U.S. Edition\u00a0\u201d was created in collaboration with\u00a0Visa Acceptance Solutions\u00a0and drew from a survey of more than 2,400 U.S. consumers. It found that more than 1 in 4 shoppers prefers to make purchases via digital channels with no interaction with physical stores. Plus, U.S. consumers rely highly on a range of digital features, with 85% using multiple features regularly.
\nFor all PYMNTS retail coverage, subscribe to the daily Retail Newsletter.
\nThe post Aggregators Expand Into Highly Consumable Retail Categories to Drive Frequency appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "As restaurant and grocery aggregators push beyond their original categories to grow their penetration in retail, some are turning to consumables overall to drive purchasing frequency.\nTake, for instance, nutritional supplements, which many shoppers consume daily. On Thursday (Apr. 4),\u00a0Uber\u00a0announced Thursday (April 4) a\u00a0partnership\u00a0with\u00a0The Vitamin Shoppe\u00a0to make the health and wellness retailer\u2019s products available on the\u00a0Uber Eats\u00a0marketplace.\n\u201cNutrition needs are personal and often urgent,\u201d\u00a0Beryl Sanders, director of U.S. grocery and retail partnerships at Uber, said in a statement. \u201cThat\u2019s one of the reasons we\u2019re most excited to bring The Vitamin Shoppe onto Uber Eats to help consumers find what they need on the app with a few taps \u2014 from vitamins and supplements to sports nutrition and on-the-go healthy snacks and drinks \u2014 and have it delivered to their doorsteps within hours, if not minutes.\u201d\nDoorDash, too, is expanding in consumable categories such as beauty, with many consumers going through skincare and cosmetics products regularly. The aggregator announced last month the addition of a range of\u00a0beauty merchants\u00a0to its platform, partnering with\u00a0Sally Beauty\u00a0and\u00a0MAC Cosmetics\u00a0and expanding its existing partnership with\u00a0Sephora.\n\u201cConsumers\u00a0come to us today for a need-it-now use case,\u201d\u00a0Fuad Hannon, the aggregator\u2019s vice president of new verticals, told PYMNTS last month. \u201c\u2018I\u2019m out of mascara. I\u2019m out of lipstick. How can I get it delivered?\u2019 And the core of DoorDash\u2019s platform has been an on-demand 30-minute delivery\u2026 We\u2019re really excited about what beauty offers our consumers in terms of beginning to think about DoorDash for not just consumption categories like grocery or alcohol or restaurants, but increasingly non-consumption categories.\u201d\nIn February, the aggregator expanded its presence in another consumable category, pet food, announcing a same-day delivery\u00a0partnership\u00a0with\u00a0Pet Supplies Plus, the United States\u2019 largest independent pet retailer, to deliver on demand from 720 of the chain\u2019s stores.\nWith additions of this kind, aggregators can attract a wider customer base and increase revenue streams. Diversification also reduces the risk associated with dependency on a single vertical.\nPlus, entering new verticals enables on-demand delivery aggregators to tap into additional markets. For instance, branching into pet supply delivery can attract pet parents who may not have previously used the platform for their own food needs.\nAdditionally, on-demand delivery aggregators\u2019 fleets of delivery drivers and technology infrastructures can be costly to maintain. Expanding into new verticals allows these companies to maximize these resources, improving profitability. For example, during off-peak hours for food delivery, drivers can be deployed for cosmetics or vitamin deliveries, optimizing their productivity.\nMany shoppers seek digital convenience. PYMNTS Intelligence\u2019s \u201c2024 Global Digital Shopping Index: U.S. Edition\u00a0\u201d was created in collaboration with\u00a0Visa Acceptance Solutions\u00a0and drew from a survey of more than 2,400 U.S. consumers. It found that more than 1 in 4 shoppers prefers to make purchases via digital channels with no interaction with physical stores. Plus, U.S. consumers rely highly on a range of digital features, with 85% using multiple features regularly.\nFor all PYMNTS retail coverage, subscribe to the daily Retail Newsletter.\nThe post Aggregators Expand Into Highly Consumable Retail Categories to Drive Frequency appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2024-04-04T16:46:19-04:00", "date_modified": "2024-04-04T16:46:19-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/aggregators-Uber-Eats-delivery.jpg", "tags": [ "Aggregators", "beauty", "delivery", "doordash", "mac cosmetics", "News", "partnerships", "Pet Supplies Plus", "PYMNTS News", "Retail", "Sally Beauty", "Sephora", "The Vitamin Shoppe", "Uber", "Uber Eats" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=1870702", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/aggregators/2024/uber-eats-adds-live-location-sharing-aggregators-compete-reduce-friction/", "title": "Uber Eats Adds Live Location Sharing as Aggregators Compete to Reduce Friction", "content_html": "As on-demand delivery aggregators race to offer the most easy, seamless customer experience,\u00a0Uber Eats\u00a0is adding live location sharing for hard-to-find deliveries.
\nThe aggregator announced Thursday (March 7) the launch of the feature for \u201cmeet outside\u201d or \u201cmeet at door\u201d orders, which shares customers\u2019 live locations with the courier when their order is three minutes away and they are within 100 meters of the drop-off site. Consumers can choose to opt out.
\nThe company noted that 10% of delivery orders are categorized as hard to find, and 1 in 5 customers say that within the previous three months, a courier has had a difficult time finding them. The feature is meant for delivery to places such as parks, sprawling apartment complexes and campuses, where a simple street address may not give enough information.
\nUber Eats is not the only delivery provider to note the need for such a solution. Last June,\u00a0Domino\u2019s\u00a0launched\u00a0Pinpoint Delivery, enabling consumers to order delivery to pinned locations for similar occasions \u2014 parks, beaches, etc.
\nBack in 2019, convenience retail giant\u00a07-Eleven\u00a0announced the\u00a0launch\u00a0of\u00a07NOW Pins\u00a0on its 7NOW delivery app, a similar feature. The app\u2019s latest\u00a0Apple App Store description\u00a0shows that the option is still available, implying that the capability has proven both to be effective and to meet sufficient demand.
\nUber\u2019s announcement comes as aggregators compete to offer the most frictionless ordering and fulfillment experiences for consumers. Over the summer,\u00a0DoorDash, for its part, the United States\u2019 leading aggregator, announced an\u00a0app update\u00a0that included new features such as a universal search bar, a browse tab, a grocery tab, a retail tab and the option to keep multiple carts going at once. These features are meant to make using the digital platform easier and more convenient for consumers.
\nHaving easy-to-use digital platforms can be key to maintaining consumer loyalty, according to the PYMNTS Intelligence study \u201cThe Online Features Driving Consumers to Shop With Brands, Retailers or Marketplaces. The study, which drew from a survey of more than 3,500 U.S. consumers, revealed that 40% of consumers consider how easy to navigate a given merchant\u2019s online store is when deciding where to shop.
\nThe third-most popular U.S. aggregator\u00a0Grubhub, for its part, has been less active in its pursuit of innovation as its parent company,\u00a0Just Eat Takeaway, continues to look for buyers, but the company shared in its\u00a0earnings\u00a0report last week that it is looking to improve its competitive standing through means including a \u201ca continued push in new verticals.\u201d
\nThe battle for aggregator customers\u2019 loyalty is highly competitive, as 2023 research from PYMNTS Intelligence\u2019s\u00a0Connected Dining\u00a0series found that just 1 in 20 restaurant orders is placed with a third-party delivery marketplace. The same series of reports found that as of June, 74% of\u00a0aggregator\u00a0customers reported having made purchases via DoorDash, 50% said the same of Uber Eats and 37% of Grubhub.
\nIn a landscape where on-demand delivery aggregators strive to provide the most convenient experiences to drive loyalty and engagement, Uber Eats\u2019 introduction of live location sharing marks the latest step toward enhancing customer satisfaction and boosting ease of use.
\nThe post Uber Eats Adds Live Location Sharing as Aggregators Compete to Reduce Friction appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "As on-demand delivery aggregators race to offer the most easy, seamless customer experience,\u00a0Uber Eats\u00a0is adding live location sharing for hard-to-find deliveries.\nThe aggregator announced Thursday (March 7) the launch of the feature for \u201cmeet outside\u201d or \u201cmeet at door\u201d orders, which shares customers\u2019 live locations with the courier when their order is three minutes away and they are within 100 meters of the drop-off site. Consumers can choose to opt out.\nThe company noted that 10% of delivery orders are categorized as hard to find, and 1 in 5 customers say that within the previous three months, a courier has had a difficult time finding them. The feature is meant for delivery to places such as parks, sprawling apartment complexes and campuses, where a simple street address may not give enough information.\nUber Eats is not the only delivery provider to note the need for such a solution. Last June,\u00a0Domino\u2019s\u00a0launched\u00a0Pinpoint Delivery, enabling consumers to order delivery to pinned locations for similar occasions \u2014 parks, beaches, etc.\nBack in 2019, convenience retail giant\u00a07-Eleven\u00a0announced the\u00a0launch\u00a0of\u00a07NOW Pins\u00a0on its 7NOW delivery app, a similar feature. The app\u2019s latest\u00a0Apple App Store description\u00a0shows that the option is still available, implying that the capability has proven both to be effective and to meet sufficient demand.\nUber\u2019s announcement comes as aggregators compete to offer the most frictionless ordering and fulfillment experiences for consumers. Over the summer,\u00a0DoorDash, for its part, the United States\u2019 leading aggregator, announced an\u00a0app update\u00a0that included new features such as a universal search bar, a browse tab, a grocery tab, a retail tab and the option to keep multiple carts going at once. These features are meant to make using the digital platform easier and more convenient for consumers.\nHaving easy-to-use digital platforms can be key to maintaining consumer loyalty, according to the PYMNTS Intelligence study \u201cThe Online Features Driving Consumers to Shop With Brands, Retailers or Marketplaces. The study, which drew from a survey of more than 3,500 U.S. consumers, revealed that 40% of consumers consider how easy to navigate a given merchant\u2019s online store is when deciding where to shop.\nThe third-most popular U.S. aggregator\u00a0Grubhub, for its part, has been less active in its pursuit of innovation as its parent company,\u00a0Just Eat Takeaway, continues to look for buyers, but the company shared in its\u00a0earnings\u00a0report last week that it is looking to improve its competitive standing through means including a \u201ca continued push in new verticals.\u201d\nThe battle for aggregator customers\u2019 loyalty is highly competitive, as 2023 research from PYMNTS Intelligence\u2019s\u00a0Connected Dining\u00a0series found that just 1 in 20 restaurant orders is placed with a third-party delivery marketplace. The same series of reports found that as of June, 74% of\u00a0aggregator\u00a0customers reported having made purchases via DoorDash, 50% said the same of Uber Eats and 37% of Grubhub.\nIn a landscape where on-demand delivery aggregators strive to provide the most convenient experiences to drive loyalty and engagement, Uber Eats\u2019 introduction of live location sharing marks the latest step toward enhancing customer satisfaction and boosting ease of use.\nThe post Uber Eats Adds Live Location Sharing as Aggregators Compete to Reduce Friction appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2024-03-07T09:00:13-05:00", "date_modified": "2024-03-06T15:57:37-05:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Uber-Eats-live-location-sharing.png", "tags": [ "7-Eleven", "Aggregators", "connected commerce", "Connected Economy", "delivery", "Domino's", "doordash", "grubhub", "Location Sharing", "Mobile Applications", "News", "PYMNTS News", "Uber Eats" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=1865934", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/aggregators/2024/thrasios-bankruptcy-spotlights-aggregators-decline-as-ecosystems-take-shape/", "title": "Thrasio\u2019s Bankruptcy Spotlights Aggregators\u2019 Decline as Ecosystems Take Shape", "content_html": "It was a highly successful business model, at least for a while.
\nBut the recent filing of Thrasio Holdings for Chapter 11 this week points to how Amazon aggregators have been facing a reckoning that would have seemed unimaginable during the halcyon days of eCommerce dominance.
\nAt a high level, the aggregators are built on the premise of acquiring private-label sellers that have been visible, successful and growing via Amazon.
\nIn many cases, the platform may have been the key way these smaller storefronts were gaining sales. Selling a business to Amazon in the past couple of years, especially during COVID-19, might have seen like a way to cash in on the rise of digital-only shopping. For the aggregators, the post-acquisition endeavor is one where they seek to optimize operations \u2014 and in some cases, branch onto other platforms.
\nBut fortunes have changed rapidly, given the fact that the aggregators sector had raised $6 billion in 2021, according to CB Insights, and funding plummeted by 88% in the next year. Thrasio\u2019s bankruptcy had been on the table as recently as late 2023. Benitago Group filed\u00a0for bankruptcy last year, and Apollo had sought a buyer for its aggregator Perch.
\nAs funding dries up, and as macro pressures confront the aggregators, the debt and obligations have become more onerous than the companies can bear. And the operating costs are considerable, given the fact that the aggregators had helped with everything from renegotiating vendor contracts to improving supply chains to helping the acquired firms become direct-to-consumer enterprises. Thrasio has sought to restructure\u00a0roughly $500 million in debt and obtain about $90 million in new financing.\u00a0 \u00a0
\nThe growth of eCommerce hit some headwinds. And indeed, as PYMNTS Intelligence data has shown, eCommerce as a percentage of overall sales has remained fairly constant, in the 14%-15% range, though commerce itself has grown. At the end of the year, eCommerce sales growth was about 2%.
\nThe\u00a0return of Click and Mortar shopping has been a factor. So has some of the pivoting toward spending money on travel and experiences, which steers away some of the funds that otherwise would have been spent on goods.
\nAmazon, as PYMNTS has noted, has been building its third-party seller ecosystem, broadening fulfillment, logistics and even advertising, including getting Buy with Prime more fully present in an off-premise setting.
\nThe company said this week that third-party sellers are responsible for 60% of its eCommerce sales. In the latest quarter,\u00a0and as relayed in\u00a0earnings materials, third-party seller services were up 20%, and advertising sales gained 23%. By offering the end-to-end solutions that help these firms scale, the urge to jump to an aggregator may be tempered \u2026 and Thrasio\u2019s Chapter 11 may wind up being part of a procession of restructurings and bankruptcies.
\nThe post Thrasio\u2019s Bankruptcy Spotlights Aggregators\u2019 Decline as Ecosystems Take Shape appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "It was a highly successful business model, at least for a while.\nBut the recent filing of Thrasio Holdings for Chapter 11 this week points to how Amazon aggregators have been facing a reckoning that would have seemed unimaginable during the halcyon days of eCommerce dominance.\nAt a high level, the aggregators are built on the premise of acquiring private-label sellers that have been visible, successful and growing via Amazon. \nIn many cases, the platform may have been the key way these smaller storefronts were gaining sales. Selling a business to Amazon in the past couple of years, especially during COVID-19, might have seen like a way to cash in on the rise of digital-only shopping. For the aggregators, the post-acquisition endeavor is one where they seek to optimize operations \u2014 and in some cases, branch onto other platforms.\nBut fortunes have changed rapidly, given the fact that the aggregators sector had raised $6 billion in 2021, according to CB Insights, and funding plummeted by 88% in the next year. Thrasio\u2019s bankruptcy had been on the table as recently as late 2023. Benitago Group filed\u00a0for bankruptcy last year, and Apollo had sought a buyer for its aggregator Perch. \nAs funding dries up, and as macro pressures confront the aggregators, the debt and obligations have become more onerous than the companies can bear. And the operating costs are considerable, given the fact that the aggregators had helped with everything from renegotiating vendor contracts to improving supply chains to helping the acquired firms become direct-to-consumer enterprises. Thrasio has sought to restructure\u00a0roughly $500 million in debt and obtain about $90 million in new financing.\u00a0 \u00a0\nWhat Changed\u00a0\nThe growth of eCommerce hit some headwinds. And indeed, as PYMNTS Intelligence data has shown, eCommerce as a percentage of overall sales has remained fairly constant, in the 14%-15% range, though commerce itself has grown. At the end of the year, eCommerce sales growth was about 2%. \nThe\u00a0return of Click and Mortar shopping has been a factor. So has some of the pivoting toward spending money on travel and experiences, which steers away some of the funds that otherwise would have been spent on goods.\nAmazon, as PYMNTS has noted, has been building its third-party seller ecosystem, broadening fulfillment, logistics and even advertising, including getting Buy with Prime more fully present in an off-premise setting. \nThe company said this week that third-party sellers are responsible for 60% of its eCommerce sales. In the latest quarter,\u00a0and as relayed in\u00a0earnings materials, third-party seller services were up 20%, and advertising sales gained 23%. By offering the end-to-end solutions that help these firms scale, the urge to jump to an aggregator may be tempered \u2026 and Thrasio\u2019s Chapter 11 may wind up being part of a procession of restructurings and bankruptcies.\nThe post Thrasio\u2019s Bankruptcy Spotlights Aggregators\u2019 Decline as Ecosystems Take Shape appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2024-02-28T15:10:56-05:00", "date_modified": "2024-02-28T15:10:56-05:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Thrasio.jpg", "tags": [ "Aggregators", "Amazon", "bankruptcy", "Click-and-Mortar\u2122", "Commerce", "Connected Economy", "ecommerce", "economy", "News", "online shopping", "PYMNTS News", "Retail", "Thrasio" ] } ] }