Today in Food Commerce: McDonald’s Sees Loyalty Growth; Domino’s Steps up Drone Delivery Trial

Today in food commerce, McDonald’s gears up for the international expansion of its rewards program, while Domino’s takes to the sky. Plus, grocers leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to bring inventory management into the future.

McDonald’s Leverages Loyalty Personalization to Combat Aggregators

In just half a year since its loyalty program’s nationwide launched, quick-service restaurant (QSR) giant McDonald’s is already becoming a leader in the space, leveraging its program to build direct digital relationships with customers that reduce the need for third-party marketplaces.

Domino’s Pizza Drones Take Flight Again in New Zealand

Domino’s Pizza has partnered again with Skydrop to expand its drone delivery trials in New Zealand with new technology that’s faster, safer, quieter and greener.

Grocery Roundup: Sam’s Club, Albertsons Automate Inventory Management

Sam’s Club deploys inventory-scanning robots; Albertsons optimizes procurement with AI; Giant Eagle personalizes its loyalty program; and Instacart offers brands new ad opportunities.

eGrocery Customers Expect More Than Digital Shelves; They Expect Personal Relationships

“If in 2020 the typical purchasing pattern was going to your online grocery destination and pressing the reorder button, today consumers want more,” Alex Weinstein, chief digital officer at online grocer Hungryroot told PYMNTS in an interview.

QSRs Use Order Throttling, Automation to Help Staff Balance Dine-In, Digital Orders

In the latest Order To Eat Tracker®, PYMNTS examines how technology is shaping the future of the dining experience by empowering restaurants to offer swift, seamless service to their customers while still offering mobile takeout and delivery options.