Instacart Fires Up for Fashion with Kohl's Partnership
Hyundai juices Motional, Grubhub checks in to new hotels, Craveworthy's pitch deck revealed
Happy Monday — did you all have a good weekend? We’re starting the week off right with big news from Instacart, Grubhub and Motional, plus we’ve got our hands on a must-see pitch deck from Craveworthy Brands.
This week’s edition is brought to you by Yoshi Mobility.
Today:
Kohl’s Inks Exclusive Contract with Instacart
Hyundai Reinvigorates Autonomy with Motional Money
Chart Time | Craveworthy Brands’ Pitch Deck
Grubhub OnSite Adds Home2, InTown Suites
3PD | Instacart Snags Partnership with Kohl’s
Looks like the Midwestern mall is now truly in your pocket, as Instacart just signed on department store stalwart Kohl’s, bringing 1,172 stores within delivery distance to 109 million households (that’s about 83% of the country.) Instacart will serve as Wisconsin-based Kohl’s exclusive same-day delivery partner, and the deal includes a guarantee that prices will match those seen in-store, and that customers can link their Kohl’s Rewards accounts for standard loyalty perks like 5% back.
The Big Picture: This partnership certainly adds some new SKUs to IC; now you can get some cubic zirconia earrings, a Levi’s trucker jacket, or something from this oddly thin “craft and hobby” category in 30-45 minutes. While Instacart has existing partnerships with the likes of Walmart, Finish Line and Sephora, this definitely plants a big flag for them in the retail category. From Kohl’s perspective, it’s interesting that they opted for IC over say DoorDash, which works with other classic retailers like Macy’s and Victoria’s Secret. But Kohl’s likely knows what it’s doing, given that it’s the rare department store that can consistently outperform analyst expectations.
PARTNER | Virtual Vehicle Inspections Are Changing the Game
Getting a car inspection can be a hassle. What if it could be done in minutes and virtually?
Originally designed for rideshare & carshare partners, Yoshi Mobility has expanded its service to meet a broader demand for DOT inspections among fleet operators. Fast, hassle-free inspections for maximum convenience. Click here to simplify your inspection process going forward.
AUTONOMY | Hyundai Pours Fresh Billion Into Motional
Just when robotaxis and autonomous delivery was looking a bit wobbly, Hyundai showed it’s doubling down on the sector by pouring nearly another $1 billion of funding into Motional. As Motional was originally formed as a joint partnership with tier 1 supplier Aptiv, the deal is structured so that $475M is directly invested into Aptiv, while $448M goes towards buying down 11% of Aptiv’s ownership interest, leaving the nominally Irish conglomerate with just about 15% of AV upstart’s stock.
The Big Picture: Motional’s roots in the AV space go way back, having originally formed in 2013, as an MIT-spinout named NuTonomy. Aptiv bought NuTonomy for $400M in 2017, back when Aptiv was still named Delphi (which itself had been spun out of GM, starting in the 90s; you follow?) When Hyundai originally bought in 5 years ago, they had to pony up $1.4B in cash, plus $400M in R&D from its various subsidiaries. The company has since logged mega miles robo-taxiing across Vegas for Uber & Lyft, and has a food delivery partnership with Uber Eats in SoCal, which was recently expanded to include a nationwide deal with Shake Shack. Elsewhere in the AV space, Luminar is cutting 20% of its staff, while Fisker is accused of bilking its suppliers.
CHART TIME | Craveworthy’s Fundraising Deck
Despite its all-star leadership team, Craveworthy Brands has hit some choppy waters as it crowdfunds in its quest to become a “mini Roark Capital.” While its campaign on Issuance Express still sits at under half a mil, the company is also swinging for bigger checks from accredited investors. We’ve got the link to their pitch deck, if you want to see the fundamentals…
3PD | Grubhub Adds 800 New Hotel Partners
Grubhub Onsite, the 3PD’s solution for campuses and hotels, just scored two big new partners. First, it’s tied up with InTown Suites, adding nearly 200 economy extended stay hotels nationwide; this is GH’s first extended-stay brand. Partnership numero dos is with Hilton-owned Home2 Suites, which has an impressive roster of almost 600 properties across the country. Grubhub has previously onboarded Homewood Suites, another Hilton flag.
The Big Picture: Onsite has proven to be a real bright spot for Grubhub, as its inked deals with hoteliers like Sonesta, IHG and My Place Hotels. On the campus side, that includes leafy colleges like the University of South Carolina, as well as options like Naval Station Norfolk. Overall, the division was a bright spot in Just Eat Takeaway.com’s Q1, with orders up 30% and partners rising 20%.
A Few Good Links
ICYMI — interview with the crafters of Seattle’s trendsetting gig work wage laws. Miami Marlins partner with Nickelytics and Kiwibot. Pizza Hut’s new US Prez comes from Wendy’s. Biden vetoes congressional effort to weaken NLRB joint employer liability rule. USPS asks consolidators like Pitney Bowes and DHL eCommerce to up contributions. Food Lion adds delivery in seven states. Retailer Owned Food Distributors & Associates picks Instacart Carrot Ads for retail media networks; 3PD also cuts ad data deal with NBCU. Alipay+ looks to grow e-wallet use. Bots drive 90% of stablecoin transactions. Consumer mad at higher fast food prices. Cargado raises $6.8M for cross-border logistics. FAA accepts Drone Express’ Part 135 application. NYC adding dozens of new bus and bike lanes. Ola cuts 180 jobs, including its new CEO.
Got a tip, feedback, or just want to say hi? Reply back to this email.