delivery
Latest
Walmart's two-hour Express Delivery is coming to thousands of stores
Walmart has introduced a faster delivery service called Express Delivery, which can get your orders to your door in less than two hours.
UPS will use drones to deliver prescriptions to retirees in Florida
Residents of The Villages, Florida will soon be able to get their drug prescriptions delivered to them partly by air.
Instacart is hiring another 250,000 grocery shoppers
Instacart is hiring another 250,000 shoppers and says it's doing more to protect all of its workers.
Uber revives product deliveries with person-to-person 'Connect' trial
Uber is returning to goods delivery as its profits have been hit by the coronavirus outbreak.
UK watchdog 'provisionally' clears Amazon investment in Deliveroo
After months of deliberation, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has "provisionally" cleared Amazon's involvement in a funding round worth $575 million.
Instacart is expanding Costco pharmacy deliveries nationwide
Instacart is now delivering medication from almost 200 Costco locations in seven states and Washington DC.
Postmates now delivers essentials from Walgreens, Duane Reade and 7-Eleven
Late last month, Walgreen expanded its partnership with Postmates to deliver over-the-counter medications, household essentials and other convenience products in the US. Today, Postmates is taking that one step further. It’s adding two new categories to the app, Essentials and Convenience, through which you can order items from Walgreens (or Duane Reade) and 7-Eleven, respectively.
Amazon plans virtual grocery waiting lists to cope with surging demand
Amazon and Whole Foods will deal with a flood of grocery orders by giving people a 'place in line' for delivery windows.
Amazon extends return window amid coronavirus pandemic
If you recently bought a product from Amazon, you'll now have more time to return it to account disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Instacart hopes to expedite deliveries with 'first available shopper' option
Instacart is adapting to the pandemic with a flexible delivery option focused on speed over fixed schedules.
Nuro's driverless delivery cars are cleared for testing in California
Nuro has received approval to publicly test its self-driving courier vehicles on California roads.
Google Maps now highlights restaurants with delivery options
Google Maps is still useful for grabbing a bite to eat even in the midst of widespread COVID-19 lockdowns, it seems. Google has rolled out updates to its Android and iOS apps that highlight restaurants with delivery (and, for some reason, takeout) options -- you just need to tap a button at the main screen to see what's available. It won't let you order food unless there's direct integration, alas, but it could help you browse neighborhood eateries if you're eager to support a local business during the pandemic.
New York finally legalizes e-bikes and e-scooters statewide
Delivery workers just won a battle they've been fighting for years.
DoorDash now delivers from convenience stores
With the coronavirus pandemic pushing more and more Americans to self-isolate and stay inside, DoorDash is starting to deliver items from convenience stores. Starting today, the company is partnering with both national and regional chains across the US -- including 7-Eleven, Wawa, Casey's General Store and CircleK -- to make essential products like toilet paper, cleaning supplies and snacks available to order. In all, more than 1,800 stores throughout the country are joining the platform, with more to follow in the coming days and weeks.
Online grocery deliveries are facing an unprecedented stress test
In the past few weeks, cities and states across the country have instructed people to stay home in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Going out for essentials like food is allowed, but that can be a risky proposition. Not only can grocery stores get crowded, social distancing protocol often means long lines just to get inside. The obvious alternative to all this is to shop online, but as several shoppers can attest, that experience can sometimes be even more frustrating. The state of online grocery deliveries is apparently a lot more fragile than anyone had anticipated.
Food delivery apps, the pandemic and finding a new normal
Like the rest of the world, because of the coronavirus outbreak, the restaurant industry is in the midst of a serious reckoning. As of writing, 23 American states have shut down restaurants except for takeout and delivery. In the UK, McDonald's has completely closed every location, including takeout and delivery. Despite campaigns like Tuesday's nationwide hashtag #thegreatamericantakeout, urging consumers to order takeout from local restaurants, many are shuttering for good. Even delivery logistics are proving a challenge, as illustrated by the large, non-socially distanced crowds assembled outside of Carbone in New York City, waiting for comfort food to go.
UPS is developing quieter and more versatile delivery drones
USP has announced a new partnership with Wingcopter, a German aircraft manufacturer, to develop new types of delivery drones. The two companies will work together to certify Wingcopter's existing aircraft for use in commercial delivery flights in the US. They say certification is the first step toward developing drones that can complete a variety of delivery jobs.
Best Buy, GameStop limit stores to curbside pickup
Two of the better-known tech retailers in the US have temporarily dropped in-store shopping in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of March 22nd, Best Buy and GameStop have limited shoppers to delivery and curbside pickup. At Best Buy, you'll get "enhanced curbside service" where you can not only pick up online orders, but ask store staff to fetch and sell products if you couldn't order them online. Delivery is still an option, although Best Buy has paused in-home installation and repair and will only drop off products at your door. You can still get in-home consultations during this scaled-back period, but you'll be limited to virtual help for now.
Lyft will deliver food and medical supplies during the coronavirus crisis
With the coronavirus outbreak in the US worsening, Lyft says it plans to expand its operations to include the delivery of food and medical supplies. The move comes as demand for the company's ride-hailing services falls off due to the pandemic. "This work helps create new opportunities for drivers, provides rides to those in need, and helps distribute essential goods," the company said on its website.
DoorDash will temporarily reduce or waive its commission fees
As cities and states across the US mandate that restaurants cut the capacity of their dining rooms -- or close them all together -- restaurateurs will have to rely heavily on delivery in the weeks ahead. Many eateries are already having a difficult time dealing with reduced revenue due to people staying home out of coronavirus concerns and DoorDash is aiming to help independent restaurants stay afloat by removing or reducing commission fees through the end of April. As of today, restaurants new to DoorDash can sign up and pay zero commission fees for 30 days. Eligible restaurants already onboard will pay reduced fees on delivery orders and won't be charged for pickup orders, but it's unclear as to how long this will be the case. A DoorDash spokesperson said, "Due to the rapidly evolving situation, we will be evaluating conditions week over week, as opposed to assigning a fixed duration and will continue to connect with our merchant partners throughout the process."
