October 30, 2021 | GroceryGeniuses Blog

Germany-based Delivery Hero injects funds worth $235M in Gorillas

GroceryGeniuses October 30, 2021

Delivery Hero, a German delivery firm, has invested $235M in Gorillas as a part of a $1B funding round. Gorillas, another German delivery startup, was founded in 2020 and saw growth due to the onset of the Covid-19 virus. Delivery Hero, the largest online food delivery firm in Europe, now owns an 8% stake in the startup. Other investors, including Coatue, DST and Dragoneer, led the funding round as well. The German startup is now at a $3.1 billion valuation following the cash injection, and its shares went up above 1%.

Basil Street has struck a deal to roll out Pizza vending machines to US airports

GroceryGeniuses October 30, 2021

Basil Street, an automated pizza vending machine maker, has signed a deal with Prepango, a firm offering automated retail and beverage solutions to airports. The partnership will allow Basil Street to roll out its kiosks to airports all across the US. The pizza vending machines are around 20-square-feet in size and contain up to 150 thin-crust pizzas of 10-inch. Customers place an order through its app or touchscreen, and a non-microwave oven starts baking the pies in about 3 minutes. Basil Street has served pizzas in universities, corporate buildings, business parks prior to its airport expansion.

A Chicago-based grocer launches its digital app to provide ultrafast delivery

GroceryGeniuses October 30, 2021

Go Grocer, a Chicago-based brick-and-mortar grocer, is joining the race to offer ultrafast online delivery service to its customers. The grocer, founded in 2008, is launching a native app and using its 16 stores to deliver grocery orders in Downtown Chicago within a few minutes. Many investors have shown interest to acquire the firm, but the owners prefer to remain self-funded as of now. Other grocers develop their online presence by using raised fundings but Go Grocer wants to change the norm. The app will offer a wide assortment of 4,000 products from local stores. The products will include prepared foods, snacks, personal care products and alcoholic beverages.

Target upgrades its app and rolls out new services to speed up delivery of holiday orders

GroceryGeniuses October 30, 2021

Retailers are currently gearing up to fulfil holiday orders and offer prompt delivery. Target steps ahead by adding some latest features to its same-day delivery option. The newly-added services include Order Pickup, Same-Day Delivery with Shipt and Drive Up to accelerate holiday grocery orders for a seamless customer experience. The retailer’s app would suggest backup grocery items when the customer’s regular choice of products are out of stock. Target has also added the ‘Forgot Something’ feature to its app if shoppers forget to add an item after placing the orders.