
e-grocery


MFC Firm Fabric Joins the Unicorn Club With $200M Raise
Fabric, maker of automated systems for on-demand micro fulfillment in urban settings, has raised a fresh $200 million, bringing its valuation above the vaunted $1 billion mark as it looks to expand to new markets beyond its current operations in Washington, DC, New York and its launch site of Tel Aviv.

Wakefern Testing Robot Delivery in Pennsylvania
Independent grocery cooperative Wakefern Food Corp. is testing robot delivery at two ShopRite stores in Pennsylvania as retailers continue to explore automated options for augmenting traditional methods to make e-grocery fulfillment faster and more efficient. Stores in Yardley and Bethlehem are participating in the trial.

Instacart and the Great Facebook Talent Raid
Instacart has been on its own shopping spree, hiring away Fidji Simo, who ran Facebook’s main app, as CEO, as well as Facebookers Carolyn Everson as president and Asha Sharma as COO. What’s behind Instacart’s Facebook hiring binge? In this latest MCM CommerceChat podcast, we explore the subject with Orlee Tal, CEO of Stor.ai.



Omnichannel Grocery Shoppers Spend 20% More
Omnichannel grocery shoppers spend on average 20% more and shop more frequently compared to those that just visit the store, according to new research from Symphony RetailAI. The survey also found that while half of first-time e-grocery shoppers made a single online purchase, the other half become highly engaged and loyal.

Walmart Concerned About Slipping Grocery Position
When it comes to the grocery wars, Walmart execs are concerned about the company’s tenuous number one position as well as losing share to fierce competitors, according to brutal self-assessments in a leaked memo and presentation from February obtained by Recode. There are also worries that Instacart is pulling even on e-grocery.

Amazon Key Garage Delivery Expands Nationwide
Amazon is expanding its Amazon Key program, which lets its delivery drivers access a Prime customer’s garage to drop off orders, to more than 5,000 U.S. cities and towns, wherever its grocery delivery services are available from Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods Market. The program, free to Prime members, was first tested three years ago.

E-Grocery Surges to $9.3B in March in U.S.
E-grocery sales in the U.S. surged back to $9.3 billion in March, the same level as in January and up 43% from $6.5 billion a year ago, after dropping to $8 billion in February, according to the latest data from Mercatus and Brick Meet Click. That growth happened even though 7% fewer households placed one or more orders in March.