Today in restaurant and grocery tech news, Chicago sues major third-party delivery services for alleged deceptive practices, and McDonald’s suggests franchisees in high-transmission areas close their dining rooms. Plus, Drone Express CTO Beth Flippo discusses autonomous grocery delivery in the connected economy.
City of Chicago Delivers Lawsuits to Grubhub, DoorDash
The City of Chicago sued DoorDash and Grubhub on Friday (Aug. 27), alleging that the delivery giants deceive customers about the savings the services confer, according to a press release. “The lawsuits assert claims under the Chicago Municipal Code for engaging in deceptive and unfair business practices that harm restaurants and mislead consumers,” the release stated.
Mercatus Integrates ‘Instacart Connect’ as Third-Party Marketplaces Tighten Their Hold on Merchants
Mercatus, an online grocery solution that facilitates orders for 240,000 shoppers a month through retailers including Weis Markets and Save Mart brands, announced on Monday (Aug. 30) that it is integrating Instacart’s white-label Connect program into its platform. The integration lets grocers on the platform take advantage of Instacart’s infrastructure and workforce to fulfill orders.
The Indian technology company providing functionality for the McDonald’s McDelivery service and Avis car rental in India may submit an initial public offering (IPO) this week, according to a recent Bloomberg report. MapmyIndia could focus on an IPO of approximately $175 million, pushing the 26-year-old company’s value to roughly $825 million.
McDonald’s Suggests Franchisees Shift from Dine-In to Safer, More Profitable Channels
With the rise in COVID-19 cases, McDonald’s is turning its focus to its off-premise channels. New cases are up about tenfold from just two months ago, making indoor dining less safe and less appealing to many consumers. Noting this trend, the McDonald’s corporate office is suggesting that franchisees close dining rooms in areas where transmission is high.
Drone Express CTO: Fully Autonomous Grocery Delivery Is on Its Way
The online grocery space is growing, but not as quickly as it could be. Drone Express CTO Beth Flippo speaks with PYMNTS about how drones can cater to consumers’ changing grocery habits, and how autonomous delivery ushers technology into its connected future.
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