Instacart battles restaurant aggregators, while grocery shoppers grow frustrated with empty shelves. Plus, investors back solutions that allow restaurants to take their digital presences into their own hands.

Investors Bet Restaurant Apps Beat the Aggregators

Today, technologies that can offer restaurants the tools they need to hold their own in the digital ordering space against third-party aggregators are highly in demand among operators, and investors are taking note. Multinational ResTech company Flipdish announced in a Thursday (Jan. 13) press release that, with its new $100 million investment, its valuation has risen to $1.25 billion, reaching unicorn status.

Consumer Frustration with Out-of-Stocks Presents eGrocery Opportunity

Once again, United States grocery shortages are making headlines, and consumers growing frustrated with these out-of-stocks. Weather events, COVID-19 surges, and consequent labor challenges, among other factors, are making it increasingly difficult for grocers to keep shelves full. For grocery shoppers, for whom inventory availability is a top priority, these challenges could have a real negative impact on their relationships with their would-be favorite grocers.

Instacart Aims to Price Out DoorDash with Launch of Meal Delivery

With its latest initiative, Instacart is firing back at the leading restaurant aggregators such as DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub, which have moving further and further into the grocery delivery space. Now, Instacart is retaliating, selling hot food. The online grocery platform announced Thursday (Jan. 13) the launch of its new Ready Meals Hub, with cooked foods from a number of Ahold Delhaize- and Kroger-owned top grocery brands already available.