Today in Food Tech: Yandex Buys $1B Uber Stake; FreshDirect Lowers Prices
Today in restaurant and grocery tech news, FreshDirect adds 250 SKUs of parent company Ahold Delhaize’s private label brands, and Russian food delivery company Yandex purchases a stake in Uber in a $1 billion deal. Plus, Nat Trienens, founder and CEO of digital ordering solutions provider Koala, discusses the delta variant’s effect on restaurant ordering habits.
FreshDirect Woos Shoppers with Major Private Label Expansion, Lower Prices
In a move to attract cost-conscious consumers with low prices, FreshDirect is taking advantage of parent company Ahold Delhaize’s extensive portfolio of private label offerings to add more low-cost products to its e-shelves. The New York-based online grocer, which delivers in select markets throughout the Northeast, announced it is adding 250 center-of-store SKUs from its parent’s Nature’s Promise and Taste of Inspirations brands. The company is also lowering prices across multiple categories.
Russian Food, Grocery Delivery Company Yandex to Spend $1B to Buy Uber Stake
As part of a $1 billion cash deal, Russian-based Yandex will purchase Uber’s stake in its collaborative food, grocery and convenience store delivery efforts, as well as the companies’ joint self-driving business, according to a Tuesday (Aug. 31) Yandex announcement.
With Delta Variant, Restaurant Customers Shift to Own-Device Ordering
The delta variant has thrown a spanner in the works of the great reopening, requiring restaurants to adjust to an ever-shifting definition of “normal.” Nat Trienens, founder and CEO of digital ordering solutions provider Koala, speaks with PYMNTS about how restaurants are handling these changes and what their omnichannel future has in store.
Gatik, which has partnered with grocers including Walmart and Loblaw to deploy its self-driving box trucks, just brought its total funding to $114.5 million. With the ongoing truck driver shortage, the company’s technology is more vital than ever.