Today in Food Commerce: Mondelēz Argues Against Inflation Concerns; Restaurants Tap Robotic Delivery

Today in food commerce, snack and confectionery giant Mondelēz sees grocery spending remain high in the face of inflation, and restaurants use robots to meet delivery demand. Plus, Chieh Huang, CEO of Boxed, argues for the importance of staying in stock in online grocery.

Mondelēz CEO: Amid Inflation, Consumers Spend on Groceries, Save on Restaurants

When it comes to weathering the challenges of inflation, Mondelēz International is counting on consumers’ continued prioritization of grocery spending. On a call with analysts discussing the company’s first-quarter 2022 earnings results, Mondelēz Chairman and CEO Dirk Van de Put expressed the view that grocery spending is less impacted by inflationary pressures than other categories.

Restaurants Turn to Robotics to Fulfill Delivery Demand

As restaurants struggle to meet consumers’ desire for on-demand delivery in the face of labor challenges, robotic solutions are gaining traction. Technology startup Ottonomy.IO has announced plans to expand the use of its autonomous delivery robots internationally, with the company beginning pilot tests in airports in Rome and Pittsburgh and with plans to roll out additional trials in North America, Europe and the Middle East throughout the rest of the year.

Boxed CEO: Inventory Management Is Key to Winning Over eGrocery Customers

In an interview with PYMNTS, Chieh Huang, CEO of membership-free wholesale eTailer Boxed, argued that inventory management is a key differentiator for today’s online grocers. “It’s something that sounds so simple, but because of supply chain constraints, because of inventory management technology issues with a lot of the legacy brick-and-mortar grocers, it’s easier said than done.”