Uber Eats Gobbles Up Getir, Eyes More AVs
Instacart + 1-800-Flowers, Kia PV5, Amazon Prime record
A futuristic new delivery van, Uber doubling down on AVs while making a big bet on Turkish expansion, Amazonian stats and Instacart going floral… we’ve got plenty to dive into today. But first — for all you Super Bowl watchers — you certainly saw dueling adds from Uber Eats, Instacart, Grubhub and DoorDash. Whose campaign do you think made the biggest splash?
Today:
Uber’s New Acquisition Means It’s King of Kebabs
Is Kia’s Futuristic Van Headed Stateside?
Chart Time | Amazon’s Latest Prime Number
Instacart’s Newest Partnership Blossoms
M&A | Uber Buys Turkey’s Getir for $435 Million
Uber’s doubling down on growth in Türkiye, buying rapid delivery platform Getir from Mubadala, Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund. Uber will pay $335 million for Getir’s food delivery business, plus another $100M for a 15% stake in Getir’s grocery, retail and water delivery biz. Uber will combine Getir’s delivery offerings with those of Trendyol Go — which it bought for $700M last year — as it expands in the fast-growing country. While Getir’s food delivery arm grew 50%+ to over $1 billion in gross bookings last year, this sale is still a bit of a let down for a firm once valued at $12B in the go-go days of rapid delivery.
The Big Picture: This buyout comes in the midst of a spending spree that has split the investor community. On one hand, Uber’s FY25 top-line results came in strong: delivery gross bookings surged 26% to $25.4B, mobility was up 20% to $27.4B and revenue grew 20% YoY to $14.4 billion. But profit came in below analyst estimates, due to the company’s continued investments. Beyond its international delivery push, Uber continues to pour money into the robotaxi race, most recently announcing plans to collaborate with WeRide and to push into Hong Kong, Madrid, Houston and Zurich.
PARTNER | Autonomous Vehicles’ Existential Impact
Early AV deployments may be reducing driver utilization and pressuring pay—here’s what the data shows. Trips per hour are falling twice as fast; hourly gross pay is down; while AV pricing parity is still 15 years away.
Download the full report to understand how AVs may be impacting human drivers today—and what these early signals could mean next.
HARDWARE | Is Kia Bringing Its PV5 Electric Van to America?
New van, who dis? Sleuthing gear heads have spotted Kia’s eye-catching delivery van driving around Michigan, a promising development for an electric vehicle that’s lit up Europe and South Korea, but isn’t yet on sale in the United States. Kia has teased a global expansion, without getting into specifics, and the vehicle — available in both cargo and passenger carrying configs — is headed to Canada later this year. The futuristic van, previously spotted in Arizona as well, is manufactured in Hwaseong, South Korea, meaning it’s currently subject to a stiff import tariff.
The Big Picture: Kia has a rich PV line of vans in the works, all based off of the E-GMP (Electric Global Modular Platform) it shares with Hyundai. The PV5 Cargo has a 431 mile range; the PV5 Crew Van is good for mixed passenger/deliver uses; PV5 Passenger is a sleek mini-van; PV5 Chassis Cab can be customized to put unique uses on the back; and PV7 is an extended-body concept vehicle.
CHART TIME | Amazon Prime Hits 13 Billion Deliveries
Amazon has compiled the stats on its popular Prime service, noting that last year it delivered over 13 billion items in a day or less. In the U.S., the Everything Store did over 8 billion Prime deliveries, with groceries + everyday essentials representing over half of all items getting that rapid haul treatment.
PARTNERSHIPS | Instacart Adds 1-800-Flowers.com
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Instacart is adding to its floral assortment, thanks to a new partnership with 1-800-Flowers.com. The Jericho, NY-based retailer is adding 700+ florist locations to the delivery app, in what IC is calling its “first nationwide pure-play floral partnership.” Orders for roses and bouquets spike by over 1,000% on 2/14.
The Big Picture: It’s been a tough few years for 1-800-Flowers.com. While the fifty year old company bloomed during the pandemic, its stock has since fallen to about 10% of its peak, with revenue down and losses mounting. The floral chain announced partnerships with DoorDash and Uber Eats last year, while Instacart also has flower options available from select grocery partners like Kroger and Whole Foods.
A Few Good Links
Chipotle revenue up, income down. China’s delivery war cools as firms raise prices. Walmart hits $1 trillion valuation. Yum! Brands profit rises 27% in Q4. How Zipline got off the ground. Meituan buys DingDong Fresh. Tencent invests into AV deliverer Neolix. Does drone delivery for medical uses actually make sense? Valentine’s Day: Doordash says “encompasses recognition and romance” (wow!) while Deliveroo leans into throuples and sneaky links. Grubhub integrates Olo. Volvo truck orders fall 34%. USPS revenue and volume falls. Kroger names ex-Walmart leader as new CEO. Giant Eagle chooses NationsBenefits for food as medicine push. Albertsons launches Celebrations party planning app. BNPL heads to groceries. FedEx to buy European parcel locker + express delivery player InPost. Ghost kitchens claim 15% of UK online food sales. Rapido expands Ownly. Deliveroo launches sustainable packaging. Johannes Bruder joins Delivery Hero board. Swiggy revenue climbs 54% as losses widen. Market intelligence firm Sensor Tower compares DD + UE Super Bowl ad strategies.
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