Dining out in 2023
Technomic recently asked 1,000 consumers if they’re making New Year’s resolutions about dining out, and 59% plan to change their dining habits in 2023. Consumers are looking to tighten their belts in more ways than one.
Doordash Package Pickup
DoorDash is launching a new ‘Package Pickup’ offering that lets users request a delivery person to pick up their prepaid package from their home and drop it off at a UPS, FedEx, or USPS location.
The company began piloting this feature in March 2022 as part of a small beta test and is officially rolling it out. For a fee of $5 for standard users or $3 for DashPass members, users can get up to five packages picked up and dropped off in the same order. To get started, select the Packages hub on the top of the DoorDash homepage and select the carrier corresponding to the package you’re returning. Or, you can type “package” into your search bar. Then, you need to get your packages ready and attach a prepaid shipping label to them. If you have a shipping QR code, you can send the QR code directly to your delivery person in the DoorDash app. Your delivery person will send you a confirmation photo after dropping off your package at the designated store. During the beta testing, DoorDash said it wanted to help users avoid the tedious task of taking a package to a post office to fulfill a return. The company noted that although returns are common, they can be time-consuming, which is why it wanted to create a way to simplify the return process by leveraging its current local logistics infrastructure. We disagree with this premise, as retailers, especially fAMZN, have made it significantly easier to return packages. DoorDash also said delivery people on its app are always looking for new ways to earn through the platform and that this new feature will give them an additional option. DoorDash says it plans to continue to explore new ways to offer more convenience for its users while giving its delivery people additional chances to earn money on its platform.DoorDash isn’t the only delivery company that has worked to offer such a service. In 2015, Uber offered customers a “limited-time” option to send return packages to post offices. The feature was called “Returns” and was powered by UberRush, which shut down in 2018. Similarly, a former on-demand shipping startup called Shyp offered a service that picked up packages and delivered them to their destination. The company ended operations in 2018 after struggling to find a scalable model beyond its launching point in San Francisco.
SPTN
SpartanNash (SPTN) has acquired an independent grocery wholesaler Great Lakes Foods. The acquisition covers SpartanNash's (SPTN) 300,000 sq ft distribution center in Menominee, Michigan. The warehouse serves approximately 100 independent grocery customers across the Midwest and employs 125 associates. SpartanNash (SPTN) will continue to employ the Great Lakes Foods team while investing in capital and IT updates to the facility and expanding service offerings to customers. The business integration will occur strategically throughout 2023 to ensure business continuity.
