Today in Food Commerce: Consumers Turn to Curbside Pickup; Aggregators Race to Grow Grocery Networks

Today in food commerce, DoorDash partners with SpartanNash, and PYMNTS data reveal consumers’ widespread demand for curbside pickup options. Plus, Amanda Tsung, chief operating officer of autonomous restaurant company Yo-Kai Express, discusses geographical differences in restaurant customers’ tech adoption.

One in Four Consumers See Curbside Pickup as Top Differentiator for eGrocers

According to data from PYMNTS’ study “Satisfaction In The Age Of eCommerce: How Trust Helps Online Merchants Build Customer Loyalty,” created in collaboration with Riskified, 1 in 4 consumers cite the ability to order curbside pickup as the single most important digital feature when shopping with online grocers, a greater share than any other feature.

Aggregators Compete for Global On-Demand Grocery Dominance

Around the world, top restaurant aggregators are competing to be consumers’ go-to not only for cooked meals but also for groceries. DoorDash, for its part, announced Tuesday (May 10) that it is partnering with food distributor, wholesaler and retailer SpartanNash to add over 100 of the grocer’s own-brand stores to its marketplace.

Consumer Adoption of Food Service Robotics Varies Based on Local Tech Norms

Amanda Tsung, chief operating officer of Yo-Kai Express, an autonomous restaurant company with locations in the United States, Japan and Taiwan, speaks with PYMNTS about the gap between adoption in Japan, where the company only announced its launch last month, and in the United States, where the company has been for years.