Today in Food Commerce: Grocery Prices Skyrocket; DoorDash Expands White-Label Offerings

Today in food commerce, grocery inflation soars, and Red Robin gears up for a new virtual brand launch. Plus, Tom Pickett, chief revenue officer at DoorDash, speaks with PYMNTS about how the company is upgrading its white-label, in-store offerings.

Highest Grocery Inflation in 40 Years has Consumers Running to Big-Name Brands

Food prices are soaring the quickest they have since the early ’80s. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Consumer Price Index (CPI) released Thursday (March 10) shows that in February prices for groceries increased 8.6% year over year. This increase marks the greatest 12-month increase since April 1981.

AMZN vs WMT Weekly: Perennial Rivals Face Perpetual Change

Although Amazon has recently announced it is focusing on groceries through its Whole Foods and Fresh locations while shuttering other non-grocery physical stores, the fight over food is not going to be won overnight against a rival with close to 5,000 domestic locations. To that point, Amazon is looking to deepen its convenience quotient by expanding its same-day delivery service to more markets.

Restaurant Roundup: Red Robin Adds Digital Wallets, New Virtual Brand

Red Robin adds digital payment capabilities; Portillo’s leverages digital drive-thru lanes; New York City rolls back its pandemic dining requirements; and Texas Roadhouse adds pay-at-table technology.

DoorDash: Bbot Tech Brings Digital Convenience to On-Site Dining

“COVID-19 … exemplified customer preferences for convenient, quick, and accessible ordering at home and on-premise,” Tom Pickett, Chief Revenue Officer at DoorDash, tells PYMNTS in an interview. “Having the ability to order and pay at your convenience, in collaboration with wait staff, is a trend we expect to accelerate.”