Grubhub Gets Its Groove Back?
LockerNYC expands, Target pushes next-day delivery, Gopuff's new site, Grubhub adds Burq & Prime deal
Delivery lockers… next-day delivery… schmancy new websites… white label delivery… today’s update has something for everyone: read on for all the deets.
Today’s edition is brought to you by the Detroit Mobility Mixer — join us tomorrow!
Today:
LockerNYC Adds 36 Locations
Target Doubles Down on Next-Day Delivery
Chart Time | Gopuff’s New Site
Grubhub Gets Burq, Prime Deal
INFRASTRUCTURE | LockerNYC Expands to 70 Locations
LockerNYC — NYCDOT’s secure sidewalk delivery locker program — is expanding to seventy locations across the Big Apple, as the city looks to combat package theft and reduce delivery traffic. This expansion more than doubles the network to an array of locations across Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. Operated by GoLocker, the public locker network makes use of sidewalk locations, as well as the footprint of grocery stores, housing projects and other accessible locations. The lockers are two-way, allowing users to send packages as well.
The Big Picture: First launched in April 2024, this marks the final expansion of the pilot project. Since launch, New Yorkers have made over 15,000 reservations at the locker network, which aims to give everyday folks the same convenience and security afforded to those in higher-end buildings with a package-receiving doorman. Additionally, the city hope the program will cut down on delivery truck traffic, by centralizing drop-off locations. Currently 90% of goods are transported via truck in NYC; the city is doing a full court press to get that number down: Blue Highways, Microhubs, the Department of Sustainable Delivery, etc.
EVENTS | Join Us in Detroit for Our Mobility Week Mixer — Tomorrow!
Curbivore is kicking off Mobility Week with our Mobility Mixer: a lively evening of networking, a panel and drinks, hosted at Detroit TechTown, on September 23rd.
Top mobility investors from coast-to-coast will be convening alongside Michigan's foremost transportation, autotech and public-sector leaders for a lively discussion featuring Jonah Bliss, Greg Lindsay and Bloom Co-Founder Chris Nolte.
If you're a founder, funder, builder, OEM, mobility startup, investor, or just a friend of the curb... join us to celebrate Mobility Week with some West Coast flair.
OPERATIONS | Target Expands Next-Day Delivery Roll-Out
Target is continuing to rejigger its delivery and fulfillment network, expanding its next-day delivery network to cover 35 metro areas. In a push to increase adoption, 85% of Target’s product mix will be eligible, and delivery of baskets over $35 will be free to Target Circle 360 members or Target Circle Card users. Interestingly, cut-off times vary widely by city: you’ve gotta order by 2:30 in DC and NYC, 3 PM in Miami or SF or Denver, 5 o’clock in Tucson and you get until 6 in LA or Milwaukee. Target is bringing this option to “Within areas with high or growing guest demand for shipping, we looked at where the density of our stores and supply chain assets would allow for next-day operations in a cost-effective way.”
The Big Picture: Target’s digital business is profitable, but this retooling comes as the retailer comes off a tricky couple of quarters. After first testing this “stores as hubs” change in Chicago, the hope is that some shops can now solely focus on better serving in-store customers, while more digital orders get shunted to select locations and local MFCs. Today, over Target’s same-day delivery network covers 80% of the U.S., while 99% can get their within two days.
CHART TIME | Gopuff’s Top Orders
Gopuff just launched a new consumer-facing website; beyond the shopping experience itself, there are a few new snazzy features. A live camera lets you peek at one of its MFCs, while also tracking realtime and top trending orders. (Doesn’t exactly appear to be a hive of buzzy activity…) The new site gives valuable real estate to a “trending” section as well, letting us see that Philadelphians are wild for Toll House Pumpkin Spice Cookie Dough, while New Yorkers love Peace Tea Just Peachy, San Franciscans are all about Gatorade Midnight Ice and Angeleños prefer Gatorade Mashups Cool Blue Fruit Punch.
3PD | Grubhub Adds Burq, New Prime Deal
Grubhub is revving up its growth engine, starting with a new partnership with Burq, directly integrating into the platform, allowing merchants to streamline their delivery operations across categories like food, groceries, flowers, and auto parts. Burq handles delivery workflows and operations for brands like CaterZen, ShopHero, Shopify, Local Express and Metro Drugs, giving all those companies a new route to tap into Grubhub’s white-label delivery option. GH also has something to juice volume on the consumer side: a new promo for Amazon Prime Big Deal Days allows Prime members (which includes a free Grubhub+ subscription) to get a free McDonald’s 10-piece Chicken McNuggets Meal once per day between September 15 and October 5 from participating Mickey D’s. Be still my (clogged) heart!
The Big Picture: Grubhub’s new owner Wonder really seems to be reinvesting in the brand, chasing after DoorDash Drive and Uber Direct with this expanded white label delivery initiative. Wonder recently revamped its own app, allowing customers to also order from Grubhub merchants (and Blue Apron meal kits) while perusing options from Wonder partner brands like Sripraphai and Di Fara Pizza. The NY & NJ-based company is highlighting the new changes with a big marketing push, that includes a light rebrand: goodbye cursive, hello block letters!
A Few Good Links
Meituan’s KeeTa expands to Kuwait, working with local chains like Naif Chicken, Dipndip, and Shrimpy (those brand names sound like AI hallucinations, and I must say the Shrimpy website does nothing to dissuade that illusion…) Alberts’ smoothie machines head to the spa. Deliveroo CEO Will Shu stepping down. Flipkart announces 12th edition of The Big Billion Days. Uber partners with Flytrex. DoorDash maps top candies by state, plugs Cardi B album, opens biz accelerator. (Tangentially, the Curbivore team spotted DoorDash’s huge mobile bag OOH activation in Silver Lake this weekend.) Meet Grubhub’s Director of Product Operations, Design Operations & UXR. Taco Bell promotes branding and tech execs. Chicken up, chicken down: Yum Brands’ Saucy acquires 13 new sites in Florida, while Craveworthy Brands’ Hot Chicken Takeover closes all stores. Senate confirms Sean McMaster as FHWA administrator. White House asks Supes to uphold tariff powers. C&S Wholesale finalizes SpartanNash buyout. Amazon talks disaster relief deliveries. Amazon to fulfill Walmart ecommerce orders. Office Depot goes private for $1B. Scammers degrade Walmart marketplace. Amazon reseller Pattern raises $300M with IPO. Tariffs push retailers towards B2B2C. Shipt invests in fresh food. JET talks up on-demand deliveries. UrbanShield unveils smart helmet for shared micromobility. Whizz Co-Founder Mike Peregudov talks courier e-bike rentals. FedEx profits climb. Uber Freight pushes Tesla Semis. Trump blesses UP, NS merger. Gorgie launches Gopuff exclusive flavor. Toast combats food insecurity. iFood talks smart delivery. Amazon Pharmacy saved consumers $100M. Walmart expands to South Africa.
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