Paris Says Oui to Cargo Delivery Bikes
Instacart + NYT Cooking, QSRs down in CA, Chipotle debuts UK app
Ahh, what a way to end the week… the sweet sounds of the Olympics in your ear as you le huff and le puff across Montparnasse to make a baguette delivery. More on that in a minute, plus more big updates from Instacart recipe fiends, Golden State fast fooders, and British burrito builders.
Today:
Cargo Bikes Cross the Seine
Instacart Integrates with NYT Cooking
Chart Time | QSRs See Traffic Drop in CA
Chipotle Unveils New UK App
POLICY | Paris Seeks Olympic Transition to Cargo Delivery Bikes
With the Olympic games just one month away, the French capital is looking to use the momentous occasion as an opportunity to transition in-city deliveries towards cargo bikes, both during and after the festivities. Paris has already done a fantastic job getting commuters onto bikes, as efforts to replace highways with bike lanes has resulted in the number of cyclists doubling year over year. Dubbed the ColisActive initiative, efforts to move the city’s 1.1 million weekly goods movements onto sustainable modes are aided by a 33% rebate on cargo bike purchases; so far 1,500 have been financed. Long term, this not only benefits the environment and reduces congestion, but modeling by InnoEnergy shows it will save shippers money as well.
The Big Picture: Perhaps the classic French-English rivalry is at play here, as in many ways Paris is racing to catch up with that other capital across the Channel. London has emerged as a real cargo bike leader, as policies like the Ultra Low Emission Zone have pushed couriers to take up quadcycles and EAVs at firms like Fin and Pedal Me. New York City was also making moves to up its cargo bike game, thanks to its “blue highway” initiative (catch our interview with DutchX Co-Founder Marcus Hoed.) Those efforts unfortunately were set way back with last week’s decision to kill off congestion pricing, which would have made it far less economical to bring delivery vans into the city. Advocates for the policy are hoping a last-ditch lawsuit led by City Comptroller Brad Lander may save the plan.
PARTNERSHIPS | Instacart Goes Live on NYT Cooking
Instacart has a big new partnership, as the grocery-oriented 3PD is now integrated with the New York Times’ popular Cooking app. The tie-up lets recipe viewers instantly add ingredients to their cart, for delivery from a nearby grocer. As part of the partnership, Cooking users get 50% off one year of Instacart+, plus $20 off a first order of $50 or more. Instacart+ members get one year of free access to the Cooking app, while all IC users will see some new recipes embedded in the app. The shoppable recipes features is now live on the web, with iOS and Android integrations due by year’s end.
The Big Picture: Instacart first teased this partnership in March, when it launched the Food Experience API, allowing additional providers to build in delivery as a service. For both parties, this is a great way to build a sticky bundle that keeps you loyal to this service and not a competitor (what, are you gonna open up a whole separate tab and rebuild your shopping cart on Uber Eats or DoorDash?) Much like the 3PDs, media brands are also turning to bundles (free Peacock, anyone?) and innovative ad partnerships to boost revenue and retention. The NYT notes that this launch was “Developed in collaboration with New York Times Advertising, this deal showcases the quality and reach of The Times’s audience, and adds increased value to New York Times Cooking’s premium subscription product.”
CHART TIME | QSR Traffic Falls in California
New findings from Placer.ai show that foot traffic has fallen at quick serve restaurants in California, seemingly tied to the implementation of the state’s new $20 minimum wage for fast food workers. But here’s a question… why were QSRs in Cali outperforming the nation prior to the April switchover? Somehow we suspect Golden Staters weren’t chowing down on months’ worth of extra Big Macs and Double Doubles in anticipation of a looming price hike…
PRODUCT | Chipotle UK Launches New Mobile App
The British branch of Chipotle Mexican Grill has launched an updated version of its iOS and Android apps, allowing hungry Brits to build their meals ingredient by ingredient (heavy on that sour cream, we bet…) before routing it to a nearby restaurant for pickup. Getting users onto first party apps is a must-do for any restaurant that wants to foster loyalty and have a direct communication channel; Chipotle is greasing the wheels by offering new users a free “First Timer’s Bowl.” The Newport Beach-based brand is making a big push into England, having opened eight of its 19 UK restaurants in the past year and a half.
The Big Picture: While the British branch of Chipotle is corporate-owned, not franchised, there do seem to be quite a lot of operational differences on either sides of the Atlantic. For starters, this new app is yet to offer delivery, an integration also absent on the Chipotle.co.uk site. Instead, Chipotle UK seems content to have Deliveroo, Just Eat or Uber Eats UK handle the meal movements, forfeiting some margin and weakening the customer relationship. Brits also are yet to be introduced to the high-tech innovation known as the Chipotlane, and if we had to bet, their salsa is probably about as spicy as ketchup…
A Few Good Links
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