DoorDash is upping its stakes in the competitive food delivery market through a partnership with autonomous vehicle company Cruise. The companies will pilot food and grocery delivery through the DoorDash platform. Testing will begin in early 2019 with an initial focus on the San Francisco market.
Using Cruise autonomous vehicles, DoorDash will test and improve the efficiency of getting food and groceries from DoorDash merchants to customers' doors. As part of the pilot, select DoorDash customers will receive delivery from their favorite restaurants. Additionally, the partnership will explore grocery fulfillment via Cruise vehicles for select grocers already partnered with DoorDash. The companies plan to evaluate and develop safety, operational, and other learnings in the pilot.
Tony XU, CEO of DoorDash, says the company expects autonomous vehicles to play a "major role" in the future of delivery as consumer behaviors shift online. Cruise's technology is expected to help DoorDash scale and meet growing consumer demand, while also capturing key insights on mobility and logistics.
Related: PepsiCo Uses Delivery Robots on Campus; Online Grocery Spending Forecasted to Increase.
from Foodservice http://bit.ly/2QnTTDH
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