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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Amazon is reportedly developing <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-ray-ban-smart-glasses-gen-z-friends-review-photos-2023-11">smart glasses</a> that its delivery workers could use.</li><li>The glasses could provide navigation and take pictures of packages upon delivery, Reuters reported.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-delivery-driver-pay-rise-union-pressure-2024-9">Amazon</a>'s next attempt to speed up package delivery may involve smart glasses.The online retailer is developing glasses for its delivery workers that could show them exactly where to go in a building, such as which way to turn in order to find a delivery location, and take pictures of packages once they're delivered, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/amazon-developing-driver-eyeglasses-shave-seconds-off-deliveries-sources-say-2024-11-11/">Reuters reported</a> on Monday, citing unnamed sources with knowledge of the project.Having that information on a small screen embedded in the glasses instead of a smartphone or other hand-held device would free up workers to carry more packages and save time on deliveries, Reuters reported.The project, known within Amazon by the code name "Amelia," is far from certain to launch, according to the report. Some challenges that Amazon has reportedly faced include creating a battery with enough capacity for a several-hour-long delivery shift and gathering enough location data for the glasses to guide workers."We are continuously innovating to create an even safer and better delivery experience for drivers," an Amazon spokesperson told Business Insider. "We otherwise don't comment on our product roadmap."Amazon, like Meta and Snap, has previously developed smart glasses that were consumer-facing.Amazon has offered <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-echo-frames-smart-glasses-hands-on-2019-9">Echo Frames</a>, its smart glasses for consumers with voice assistant Alexa integrated, since 2019. The Echo Frames don't include cameras or an integrated display but do feature microphones and built-in speakers. Amazon is using Echo Frames as the basis of its delivery-focused version, according to Reuters. Sales of the latest version of Echo Frames totaled fewer than 10,000 over the past year, according to the report.Glasses for delivery drivers would be another way that Amazon is using technology to try to make its delivery operations more efficient, especially during the final stretch, or "last mile," of delivery.Amazon is already planning to add <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/transportation/amazon-vapr-delivery-van-packages">AI technology</a> that will show its delivery people which packages to deliver in the back of delivery vans at specific stops starting in early 2025.The company announced in July that it had delivered 5 billion items to Prime members globally on the same day or the following day so far this year, a 30% year-over-year increase. Over the years, some <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-delivery-drivers-dsps-working-conditions-legal-threat-2021-9">Amazon delivery workers</a> have said that Amazon has highly ambitious delivery targets and expects them to deliver more packages than they can during their shifts.In October, Amazon CFO Brian Olsavsky said that the company's quick delivery times are making it more attractive for customers to order <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-seeing-surge-sales-cheaper-items-2024-11">cheap, everyday items</a>, such as beauty products and shelf-stable groceries, from the retailer.Amazon is also opening more facilities designed to deliver customers' orders — including those placed through <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-prime-orders-deliveries-faster-than-ever-2024-4">Amazon Prime</a> — on the same day that they're placed.Are you an Amazon delivery or retail worker? Do you have information or a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com

Amazon targets smart glasses that could guide delivery drivers to where to drop off packages, report says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ordering <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-delivery-reckoning-is-here-doordash-uber-instacart-gig-work-2024-7">food for delivery</a> can cost twice as much as dining in.</li><li>Some diners say it's enough to make them go get food themselves and save money.</li></ul>The price gap between getting your food yourself at a restaurant and having <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-delivery-driver-gets-big-tips-declines-orders-wealthy-areas-2023-4">dinner delivered</a> has become huge. That's forcing some people to cut back.Others say it's worth the extra cost.Ravi Wadan, a personal finance content creator in Seattle, posted a video on TikTok in February showing the cost of ordering a porchetta sandwich from a local deli through <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/drive-for-uber-eats-after-layoff-would-not-recommend-2024-7">Uber Eats</a>.The sandwich alone cost $19 through the Uber Eats app, according to the video — a $3 premium compared to what the deli itself charges. But with a service fee, taxes, and a separate fee that Uber Eats added in response to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/seattle-gig-worker-new-law-advocate-instacart-job-deactivation-2024-2">Seattle's law on gig worker pay</a>, the cost of the sandwich comes to just over $34. A tip would raise the price even more, he told Business Insider in an interview. Instead of paying twice as much for delivery, Wadan said he now walks the four blocks to the deli to get the sandwich himself. "What's the cost-benefit analysis here? Is it worth me spending 10 minutes walking down the street and saving 20 bucks?" he said. "For me, it is."An Uber spokesperson said that the company operates "a dynamic marketplace" and that the fees on Wadan's order are "not representative of the national average."Uber tries to provide "selection, reliability, and value," the spokesperson said. "Everyone wants to know that when they open the Uber Eats app, they'll find what they're looking for and trust it will be delivered in a timely fashion at a price that works for them."There have been plenty of signs lately suggesting that many low- and middle-income diners are pulling back on spending. Fast-food chains like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/restaurants-are-competing-to-offer-the-cheapest-meals-2024-5">McDonald's and Taco Bell</a> are offering revamped value options, hoping to lure in diners on a budget.Many diners are even driving themselves to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dominos-customers-increasingly-picking-up-pizzas-amid-high-delivery-costs-2024-7">Domino's to pick up their own pizzas</a> to save money on delivery costs, the company's CEO told BI in July.The premium that diners pay to have their food delivered can be hefty. A study from FinanceBuzz in January found that orders from <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/doordash-postmates-food-delivery-costs-twice-as-much-as-pickup-2024-1">McDonald's and Chick-fil-A can cost twice as much</a> through delivery services like DoorDash and Postmates as they would at the restaurant, for instance.That might make delivery seem like an obvious place for consumers to cut back their spending these days.But the delivery companies say that's not actually happening.Both DoorDash and Uber reported earnings this summer that surpassed analysts' expectations — and showed that lots of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-doordash-instacart-still-delivering-lots-as-consumers-pull-back-2024-8">people are still willing to pay for delivery</a>, even if they're being more thrifty in other areas."We're seeing really strong demand on the consumer side," DoorDash CEO Tony Xu said on the company's earnings call in August. "We're not actually seeing some of the challenges that you may be hearing about or reading about in other headlines."DoorDash customers have continued ordering food — and, increasingly, groceries and other products — from the service, Xu said. Both DoorDash and Uber Eats have also seen growth in their subscription programs, which come with a monthly fee but offer discounts on individual orders, among <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://ir.doordash.com/news/news-details/2024/DoorDash-Partners-with-Max-to-Introduce-First-Ever-Streaming-Benefit-for-DashPass-Members-in-the-U.S/default.aspx">other benefits</a>."By any objective measure, we have not seen a consumer pullback, either broadly or in our own results," a DoorDash spokesperson told BI. "Consumers across very different economic environments are willing to pay for what they value, and we've improved our platform to serve more use cases, to get those things to you at a lower cost, and to make sure you get what you want when you want it."Uber, meanwhile, hasn't seen its customers stop using the platform for delivery or rideshare, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said during the company's earnings call last month. Uber's clientele skews more affluent, he said, though the company hasn't even seen a drop-off with lower-income customers."It's clear that delivery is much more habitual than many assumed," Khosrowshahi said.Even Wadan, the content creator who posted on TikTok, said he still uses delivery sometimes. He and his wife still have Thai food delivered, for instance, when they have friends over in the evenings and don't want to interrupt socializing with a trip to pick up dinner."There are certain instances where we just order the food because it's convenient and it just makes sense," he said.Do you work for a gig delivery service and have a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:abitter@businessinsider.com">abitter@businessinsider.com</a>

Ordering delivery has gotten wildly expensive

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Grocery delivery is not just a perk reserved for middle- and upper-income households, Walmart says.</li><li>The retailer says its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-plus-burger-king-discounts-win-shoppers-from-amazon-prime-2024-8">Walmart+</a> members even include households that receive government assistance.</li></ul>Conveniences like same-day delivery, especially for perishables items like groceries, are one of the more luxurious features of modern retail.For the price of an annual membership (or a one-time fee), shoppers can have any of tens of thousands of items delivered to their front door in a matter of hours.As it happens, Walmart says such perks are not just reserved for middle- and upper-income households.The retail giant has said its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/amazon-prime-vs-walmart-plus">Walmart+ membership</a> is popular across all income segments, including lower-income households and those that receive government assistance.Through Walmart+ Assist, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-get-walmart-membership-discount-2023-7">qualified recipients can get half off</a> the typical $98 per year membership fee and tap in to the benefits like free delivery on orders over $35. Amazon offers a similar discount on Prime."The primary benefits of the Walmart+ membership are delivery-oriented in nature," said Walmart's chief revenue officer, Seth Dallaire, who heads up the Walmart+ program, while <a target="_blank" href="https://seekingalpha.com/article/4720570-walmart-inc-wmt-goldman-sachs-communacopia-and-technology-conference-transcript">speaking</a> Wednesday at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia Technology Conference in San Francisco."We have a number of members that are paying for membership that are also using government assistance to shop with us," he said.When <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/instacart-advertising-chief-seth-dalliare-is-leaving-to-join-walmart-2021-10">Dallaire first joined Walmart from Instacart</a> in 2021, he said he wouldn't have expected such households to have the discretionary income to pay for a Plus membership."But what we found when we talked with those members was that they were doing the math of taking public transportation or taking an Uber or Lyft to the store or filling up the gas in their own vehicle to drive to the store," he said. "They're doing all of that math to say, 'Look, at that particular price for the membership, if I can have the groceries delivered to me and not and save the cost of the public transportation or the trip or the fuel, this actually works.'"Walmart is still working toward profitability in e-commerce, but in the meantime, executives are crediting this convenience play with helping the company grow market share (<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-ecommerce-online-orders-getting-smaller-more-frequent-like-amazon-2024-6">with lots of small orders</a>) during a challenging time for the broader retail industry.Even Dollar General CEO Ted Vasos <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dollar-general-shows-how-bad-economy-is-for-some-shoppers-2024-8">acknowledged Walmart's success</a> at picking up more of the sales that would otherwise be his bread and butter."The guys down in Bentonville are doing a pretty nice job in garnering the available traffic that's out there from other retailers," he said.And where it once might have been easier to stop off at Dollar General on the way home from work than to visit a Supercenter for a gallon of milk, some low-income shoppers are opting to pay an annual fee to Walmart to top up their groceries — without having to go out of their way.

A Walmart exec explains the surprising reason low-income shoppers pay for a delivery membership

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Lee Thiam Wah, the founder of Malaysian mini-mart chain 99 Speed Mart, is Asia's latest billionaire.</li><li>The company went public on Monday, becoming the largest Malaysian IPO in seven years.</li></ul>Lee Thiam Wah started selling snacks at a roadside stall. Now, he's Asia's latest entrepreneur to reach billionaire status.He founded the <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/the-convenience-store-market-in-malaysia-2019-2022-the-industry-is-witnessing-fast-developments-and-presents-huge-potential-for-convenience-store-players-1029242346">convenience store</a> chain 99 Speed Mart and officially became a billionaire on Monday after his company went public in Kuala Lumpur.The $531 million initial public offering on Monday shattered a seven-year record in the country for the largest IPO, at 1.65 Malaysian ringgit, or $0.38, per share. This brings Lee's net worth to $3.3 billion, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-09-08/malaysia-s-biggest-ipo-in-7-years-to-turn-99-speed-mart-founder-into-billionaire?srnd=homepage-asia">Bloomberg's</a> Billionaires Index.Born in 1964 in the Malaysian city of Klang, Lee grew up in a family with 11 children. His parents, a construction worker and a hawker, struggled to make ends meet, per Bloomberg. Lee contracted polio as a child and lost the use of his legs, making it difficult to find work. He turned to entrepreneurship, selling snacks from a stall to support himself."I have to help myself. Nobody would hire me due to my physical limitation," Lee told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/global/2010/0315/entrepreneurs-malaysia-speedsmart-handicaps-king-of-mini-marts.html">Forbes</a> in 2010.He opened his first grocery store in 1987 at the age of 23. Over the next decade, his business grew into a chain of eight stores under the name Pasar Mini 99.Lee's wife, Ng Lee Tieng, joined the company in 1997 as a purchasing executive. Together, they built what would become the largest mini-mart chain in Malaysia, with 2,651 stores nationwide, according to the company's IPO <a target="_blank" href="https://anns.sgp1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/3473571.pdf">prospectus</a>.Until this week's IPO, the couple fully owned the business. Lee will remain its majority shareholder, controlling up to a combined 79.7% stake. He will continue as the company's CEO. Ng will hold a 3.2% stake in the company.The company has a 40% share of the mini-mart market in Malaysia and controls nearly 12% of the overall grocery sector, according to the prospectus.The IPO attracted 14 major investors, including firms like abrdn Asia and UOB Asset Management, Bloomberg reported. The company plans to use over half of its IPO proceeds to add another 250 stores a year until it reaches about 3,000 outlets in three years, set up new distribution centers, and purchase new delivery trucks.The company saw a second-quarter profit of 125.5 ringgit — a 66.3% year-over-year increase, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/99-speed-mart-opens-121-higher-debut-malaysias-biggest-ipo-7-years-2024-09-09/#:~:text=99%20Speed%20Mart%2C%20founded%20by,%2C%202023%2C%20its%20prospectus%20showed.">Reuters</a> reported on Monday. 99 Speed Mart also posted a revenue of over 9,000 million ringgit in 2023, over four times that of its main competitor, 7-Eleven Malaysia, per its IPO prospectus.99 Speed Mart didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Asia's newest billionaire founded a grocery store in 1987 and never gave up any stake — until this week's IPO

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Companies like DoorDash and Uber Eats have spent years building <keyword id="19998733" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="delivery-services" source="keywords">delivery services</keyword>.</li><li>But the <keyword id="19940300" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CEO" source="keywords">CEO</keyword> of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dominos-ceo-summer-value-5-dollar-meals-fast-food-burgers-2024-7">Domino's</a> says the company is seeing a surge in <keyword id="22630332" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="carryout-orders" source="keywords">carryout orders</keyword>.</li></ul>Startups, retailers, and brands have spent over a decade figuring out how to make <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-going-after-amazon-with-ecommerce-strategy-from-target-2023-12">delivery to customers work.</a> But <keyword id="21952347" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dominos" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Domino's" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Domino's">Domino's</keyword>, the pizza chain known for delivery, is having success drawing <keyword id="19947994" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="customers" source="keywords">customers</keyword> to its restaurants to pick up their own orders. "Our carryout business is on fire," CEO Russell Weiner told Business Insider in an interview. "This is something we didn't even contemplate years ago." That business was a bright spot for Domino's during its second quarter. The company's carryout comparable sales grew 7.9%, while delivery comparable sales rose 2.7% during the same period. People who order for delivery and those who stop by a restaurant to carry their orders out are mostly two separate groups with different priorities, Weiner said. He said delivery is about convenience, and customers who order their food for delivery are willing to pay the extra fees and tip their driver. Besides operating its own delivery service, Domino's also offers delivery through Uber. The third-party service accounted for 1.9% of Domino's sales during its second quarter. "We see only about 15% overlap between our carryout and delivery customers," he said. But other, more budget-conscious consumers realize that they can get "more than another pizza" with the money they spend on delivery fees and tips, he said, adding that delivery is an "expensive convenience" for many US consumers. Delivery services gained popularity during the pandemic as consumers stayed at home and had everything from a restaurant meal to electronics delivered by the likes of DoorDash, Instacart, Uber Eats, Walmart Spark, and other services. But as society reopened and prices soared for many consumer goods, especially food, many <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/return-to-work-mandates-could-mean-more-trouble-for-instacart-2023-4">customers cut back on their delivery habits.</a> Some also realized that they were paying a big premium to have stuff brought to their door. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/instacart-shoppers-forbidden-from-giving-customers-paper-receipts-2023-8">One Instacart customer</a> posted on TikTok after realizing that she had paid close to $100 in markups on her groceries — excluding delivery fees and a tip. Many people are also opting to drive to their local Domino's and pick up orders themselves for another reason: Control. Many carryout customers prefer the option over delivery because they're worried about what they'll have to do if something is wrong with their delivery order or whether it will show up in time for a party. "This person's like, 'I don't care if it's out of my way, I'm going to pick it up because it's going to be right,'" he said. "It is a completely different customer." Domino's has also attracted many new carryout customers by opening more restaurants and cutting the distance that customers have to drive, thus making picking up an order less of a hassle. "They don't want to drive past three or four pizza places," he said of Domino's customers. "They're going to the first one." Do you work in the restaurant industry and have a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com Correction: July 29, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated the percentage of Domino's sales that occurred via Uber during the second quarter of 2024. It was 1.9%, not 3%.

Domino's CEO says customers are picking up their own pizzas, and it reveals a bleak reality about the economy

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Amazon has spent years building its grocery business through <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/whole-foods-may-not-be-whole-paycheck-for-groceries-now-2024-7">Whole Foods</a> and Amazon Fresh.</li><li>But a professor who has studied Amazon says the company has one more potential acquisition to make.</li></ul>Amazon's surprise <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-whole-foods">2017 acquisition of Whole Foods</a> shook many traditional supermarkets, with concerns that its step into selling groceries in physical stores would make the Seattle-based giant dominant in food — in the same way it had cornered the book market, for example.But Amazon, which has also spent four years opening Amazon Fresh stores and trying to build its grocery delivery business, hasn't been as disruptive to existing players like Walmart and Kroger as some feared it would be. Even though it has also revamped some aspects of its food business, including introducing a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/whole-foods-launching-small-daily-shop-stores-new-york-city-2024-3">new Whole Foods store format</a> as well as closing some Amazon Fresh stores, it's not the grocery Goliath that many had expected.But while store revamps or even "downsizing" elements of businesses are part of every company's playbook, one professor who has studied the company has another suggestion: <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-andy-jassy-wooed-wall-street-overhauled-bloated-tech-giant-2024-7">Amazon</a> could give its grocery business a boost by actually making another acquisition in the space.Dhruv Grewal, a professor of marketing at Babson College, told Business Insider that Whole Foods still has an expensive reputation, even if years of Amazon cutting prices at the grocery chain has made it more affordable.Whole Foods customers are willing to pay more for food, especially high-quality ingredients, Grewal said. Amazon Prime customers, meanwhile, often look for value, he added."I'm not fully convinced that the Amazon Prime customer is the same as a Whole Foods customer," he said.To better serve the middle, Amazon could consider acquiring a grocery chain that already exists to boost its store network, Grewal said.Buying Kroger, or even a prominent regional chain like Publix, would likely be too big a financial burden even for Amazon, Grewal said. But Amazon could acquire a chain that claims a smaller part of the market."They could figure out: What is the number three chain in each state?" he said, adding that it could make sense for Amazon to buy a chain "that's not doing that great" but could benefit from an overhaul.Besides selling groceries, Amazon could use the stores to fill pick-up and delivery orders, much as they already do with Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods."You put the customer data that they have, the delivery data behind it," he said. "You just need some level of distribution from stores."An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment for this story.Others have also said that acquiring more stores could give Amazon the boost it needs to succeed in the grocery business.Last year, analysts at Bernstein suggested that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-could-buy-grocery-stores-divested-by-kroger-albertsons-analysts-2023-4">Amazon could pick up some stores that Kroger and Albertsons</a> will have to sell as part of their proposed merger.By adding a bunch of pre-existing supermarkets quickly, the analysts wrote, Amazon could quickly expand its physical grocery footprint instead of opening stores itself — as it has done with Amazon Fresh.Around the same time, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said in his <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/read-amazon-ceo-andy-jassy-2022-shareholder-letter-in-full-2023-4">annual letter to shareholders</a> that the company needed "a broader physical store footprint given that most of the grocery shopping still happens in physical venues."This year, Jassy used his letter to highlight the potential for Amazon's same-day fulfillment centers to deliver perishable groceries, such as milk and eggs.Do you work for Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh, or another part of Amazon's retail operations and have a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:abitter@businessinsider.com">abitter@businessinsider.com</a>

Amazon could help fix its troubled grocery business — by expanding it

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/shoppers-complain-target-cvs-home-depot-locked-items-policy-theft-2023-11">Locked-up merchandise</a> at retailers is turning off delivery workers for services like Instacart.</li><li>Shopping and delivering orders on-time is a struggle with so much locked up, workers said.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/retailers-lock-up-aisles-combat-theft-missing-huge-part-problem-2023-6">Locked-up bottles of dish detergent</a> and water at retailers like CVS and Walmart isn't just a headache for customers doing their own shopping: It's also hampering deliveries through services like Instacart.Unlike regular shoppers, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/golden-age-gig-work-instacart-doordash-delivery-jobs-over-2023-12#:~:text=The%20golden%20age%20of%20working%20for%20Instacart%2C%20DoorDash%2C%20and%20other,apps%20is%20over%2C%20workers%20say&amp;text=Delivering%20groceries%20and%20takeout%20as,said%20in%20dozens%20of%20interviews.">delivery workers</a> who pick up orders at stores usually have to shop and deliver their orders on a deadline. That means they often say no to taking orders at stores that are infamous for having a lot of items locked up.An Ohio-based shopper who delivered for Walmart's Spark delivery service until earlier this year recalled waiting 10 minutes once for an employee to unlock a case containing baby formula. He and other workers that Business Insider interviewed declined to be identified in this story, citing potential retaliation from the delivery services. BI has verified their identities and work histories.Gig delivery workers in most states are paid for each order that they deliver. Many also rely on tips from customers for prompt service, so waiting around in a store can be costly, the Ohio worker said."Drivers make money per order, not per hour, so every second counts for us," the driver added.Retailers have increased the number of products under lock and key over the past few years, citing ongoing problems with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-we-dont-actually-know-whether-retail-theft-big-problem-2024-3">shoplifting</a>. But the strategy is also turning off some consumers, who seek out what they need elsewhere, including online at retailers like Amazon.The Ohio-based worker said putting more locked-up items at the front of the store, such as behind the checkout kiosks, could be one way for retailers to improve the system."That way, there is always someone to unlock the case and watch that it is actually purchased," he said.One Nevada-based shopper for Instacart <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/locked-up-merchandise-drugstores-annoys-shoppers-cvs-walgreens-rite-aid-2024-8">recently told BI</a> she refuses to take orders from one particular Walgreens near her where orders often contain multiple locked-up items.Spokespeople for Walgreens and CVS previously told BI that the chains started locking up products based on shoplifting trends at specific stores. Representatives for the two stores didn't immediately return a call for comment for this story.Avoiding locked-up merchandise completely is tough, and some workers have to improvise. One Spark shopper in Idaho recounted finding a cosmetic product that a customer had ordered at Walmart.The shopper told BI that they pressed a button on the shelf to request help from an employee, but no one showed up after several minutes."I ended up ripping the cardboard of the packaging and taking it off the hook" where it was locked up, the shopper said. The order they were shopping had perishable groceries, and they worried that Walmart would cancel the order — and their pay — if they took too long."I really didn't want to just wait forever for someone to finally come unlock the thing," the Spark shopper said.An Instacart spokesperson said shoppers can message customers through the app to let them know if they face delays while shopping an order. Shoppers do not receive less base pay if an order takes longer than expected, the spokesperson <a target="_blank" href="http://said.Walmart">said.</a><a target="_blank" href="http://said.Walmart">Walmart</a> declined to comment to BI.Do you work for Instacart, DoorDash, Uber Eats, or another gig delivery service and have a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com

Some Walmart and Walgreens stores are locking up so much stuff that delivery workers are avoiding them

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Delivery apps like Instacart and Walmart Spark often 'batch' orders together.</li><li>But gig workers say it cuts into their income since they get paid less for each order delivered.</li></ul>Last summer, some gig workers who delivered grocery orders for Walmart noticed a change: Instead of just delivering one order, they had to deliver two or three at once."Three grocery orders can also be delivered during each trip by using your front seat, back seat, and trunk space to keep these orders separate," Walmart told workers for its Spark service at the time in an email. The advice is now on the company's <a target="_blank" href="https://drive4spark-walmart.helpdocs.io/l/en/article/pmpzf3r7s7-understanding-offer-types">website for Spark drivers.</a>The practice of bundling orders isn't new. Other apps, including Instacart and DoorDash, have been doing it for years.But four independent contractors who make the deliveries told Business Insider the practice usually leaves them doing more work for less money, further eroding their earning potential on gig-work apps. The workers declined to have their names used, but BI verified their identities.Many <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/golden-age-gig-work-instacart-doordash-delivery-jobs-over-2023-12">gig workers say that their earnings have fallen</a> over the past year because of lower pay and greater competition among drivers for orders.<h2>Drivers have a choice, companies say</h2>Batches have been part of Instacart's strategy for "several years," a company spokesperson told BI."Batches that include orders from multiple stores make up a very low percentage of batches on our platform," an Instacart spokesperson said. "As with any batch, shoppers are never required to select multi-order or multi-store batches."Batches with multiple orders are "compensated accordingly and reflect the effort it will take to fulfill those batches," the spokesperson added."Batching is a win for drivers and our customers," a Walmart spokesperson said. "Drivers often prefer offers for batched deliveries and receive higher average earnings per trip while spending less time per delivery. Batching is also a way to serve more customers more efficiently and accurately.""We're proud to offer multiple types of deliveries, and drivers can choose which offers to accept based on their preferences," the spokesperson said.A DoorDash spokesperson did not provide comment for this article.<h2>Drivers find angry customers, lower ratings, lost tips</h2>The experience can be frustrating for customers. Customers can track where their driver is using the Walmart app, but they have no clue when their driver has more than one order to deliver, one Spark driver in Alabama told BI."Some customers get angry wondering why it's taking so long," the Alabama driver said. "On their end, they just see a vehicle driving all over the city with their groceries in it." In reality, the driver is following a route created by Walmart to deliver the orders, and someone's order has to be delivered last.Customers give drivers low ratings and pull away tips as a result, the driver told Insider.Walmart also batches together orders of non-perishable goods, such as shampoo and electronics, often combining a dozen or more orders together for one driver to deliver. "They're trying to be like FedEx and UPS, but they'll put 10 orders in one whole trip, and you might get $24 to $30 for that," one Spark driver in North Carolina told BI.The pay can be reasonable if the delivery addresses are close together, the driver said. But if they're more spread out, the deliveries take more time, making it less profitable, he added.On Instacart, shoppers used to shop and deliver one order at a time. But over the last few years, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/instacarts-profitability-relies-on-batching-orders-its-shoppers-hate-it-2023-8">Instacart has bundled two or three deliveries together</a>. The bundling, known as a "batch" in Instacart lingo, is one of the ways it improved its profitability ahead of its IPO last September, it said in filings with the SEC.One Instacart shopper in New York City said that they make less per order when they deliver a batch of two or three at once instead of a single delivery.More complicated – and generally less profitable – are batches that involve shopping multiple orders at different stores, then delivering them to different addresses, the shopper said."Two-store orders are even worse because it's like one store in Queens, the other in Brooklyn," the shopper told Business Insider. "They really don't understand the distance."Orders also get bundled together on restaurant delivery apps such as DoorDash and Uber Eats. Earnings aside, those batches often present another challenge for gig workers: Getting food to customers before it gets cold — or hot.One DoorDash customer expressed frustration that they were the third stop for the Dasher delivering their order in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/doordash/comments/13kezqx/double_dashing_is_really_annoying_for_customers/">a Reddit post</a> last year."He picked my food up from the restaurant that is 7 minutes away, but he has two other stops in the opposite directions before he gets to me," the poster wrote of the delivery worker. "And I ordered ice cream too.""If your food is unacceptable when you receive it, (especially the ice cream), you should complain to DoorDash that your food is ruined because your Dasher was on a triple stacked order," one commenter wrote.Do you work for Instacart, Spark, or another delivery service and have a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at abitter@insider.com

Why is your grocery delivery taking so long? Your driver has 2 other deliveries.

7 Amazon retail stumbles, from grocery delivery to clothing stores

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/what-is-amazon-prime">Amazon Prime members</a> can now get unlimited grocery deliveries for $9.99 per month.</li><li>Shoppers can get free delivery on orders over $35 from Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods, and more.</li></ul>Summer is approaching, and the competition for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-prime-shopping-rule-saves-me-money-2024-4">same-day grocery delivery</a> is heating up.Amazon is now the latest major retailer to enter the fray with a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240422312180/en/">new</a> subscription option for Prime members to get unlimited delivery on orders over $35 from stores, including Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh, and other local shops.Starting Tuesday, Prime members can sign up for a free 30-day trial of the $9.99 a month service, and customers with a registered EBT card can use the service without a Prime membership for $4.99."<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-typical-customer-demographics-shopper-profile">We have many different customers</a> with many different needs, and we want to save them time and money every time they shop for groceries," Amazon's senior vice president of worldwide grocery stores, Tony Hoggett, said in a statement.The news out of Seattle follows a similar offering from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/target-circle-360-membership-price-unlimited-same-day-delivery-2024-3">Target, which launched its Circle360 membership</a> earlier in April for an introductory price of $49 a year.And the highlight of the Bullseye's first-ever paid membership option? Unlimited free delivery of groceries (and other stuff) via the company's Shipt service on orders over $35.Of course, both are following the course set by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-grocery-sales-us-compared-kroger-albertsons-2024-3">grocery juggernaut Walmart</a>, whose $98-per-year Walmart+ membership includes grocery delivery among its perks. Walmart, like Target and Amazon, requires a minimum purchase of $35 for the free delivery option. Walmart also offers a half-price option for qualifying recipients of government aid.The company will even have a blue-vested associate put your <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-will-automatically-restock-your-fridge-using-ai-2024-1">produce and perishables right into your fridge</a> for an extra $7 a month.At $259 a year — between the $139 annual Prime membership and the $120 total delivery membership — Amazon's offering is by far the most expensive of the three companies.Even so, considering the fact that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-prime-has-180-million-members-report-shows-2024-4">75% of shoppers already have a Prime membership</a>, that all-in number might not make much of a difference.

Amazon just turned up the heat in the grocery wars with Walmart and Target

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Grocery delivery services can save time and energy, and I used to rely on them. </li><li>But I've mostly stopped using them and now, I shop with my kids instead. </li></ul>When <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/kitchen/best-places-stores-buy-online-grocery-shopping-order">online grocery ordering</a> became a thing, I quickly became hooked. It was a novelty to be able to shop from the couch and buy back an hour or so of time each weekend. Ordering groceries online suddenly made the unavoidable task of grocery shopping efficient, and I loved it.After my kids were born, my love for online grocery ordering grew even more. Ordering online meant avoiding schlepping them and their gear into the store and made the process of getting groceries for the family much easier.My perspective has changed as time has gone by. While I used to use a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-grocery-delivery-compares-walmart-target-2024-4">grocery delivery service</a> nearly every week, I only use it in a pinch now.<h2 id="91a11083-f596-4d50-809e-cd39b99e58fa">Grocery shopping is an activity to do with my kids</h2>Now that my kids are out of the baby phase, I always need <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mom-says-planning-kid-activities-months-in-advance-is-hectic-2023-3">weekend activities</a>. Going to the grocery store can easily fill up 1-2 hours, and my girls really enjoy shopping. One store that we frequent offers free cookies to kids, one store has a train that circles the dairy section, and another has shopper-in-training carts that my oldest thinks are the coolest to push around as we shop.My girls like to help put things into the cart and love suggesting different items to buy. I enjoy talking to them about the various things left on our list while they are securely nestled in the cart. If I want to extend the activity, I'll have them help me scan our items at self-checkout.<div type="image" title="Elliott Harrell's daughter pushing the small cart at the grocery store." height="576" width="768" msid="111165224" hostid="261" sizebytes="43900"></div><h2 id="22c9d967-a6f0-4b8b-95ab-6f60cd3c93f9">The extra cost of online grocery ordering isn't worth it to me anymore</h2>Ordering groceries online often costs more than <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-budget-groceries-family-four-couples-one-person-inflation-2024-4">shopping in the store</a>, sometimes as much as 15% more for online items than in-store items. On top of that, there can be things like pick-up fees, service fees, delivery charges, and tips if you use a grocery delivery service.Earlier in the pandemic, all these extra costs were worth it to me to avoid going to the store. The extra costs were also worth it when I had a newborn and didn't want to lug her into the store.But with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-youre-still-spending-much-of-your-budget-on-food-2024-2">grocery prices rising</a>, I had to rethink whether the additional costs were worth it. If I'm in a pinch, then I find they are. It's worth it to me to pay the extra cost for grocery delivery when I'm coming back from being out of town, for example, but otherwise, I can't justify the extra spend anymore. The fees can easily add $20-$30 (if not more) to our bill, and I'd rather use that money elsewhere.<h2 id="69f6dd3a-057d-42d6-929d-cb29f3e543e2">Occasional mistakes mean I sometimes have to go grocery shopping anyway</h2>On three occasions, I've shown up to collect my grocery order and found that someone else has claimed it. That's an extreme outcome, but other issues have popped up more frequently than they used to.I've seen an uptick in the wrong item being selected, like the shopper selecting skin-on chicken breast when I requested boneless skinless <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ina-garten-easy-3-ingredient-chicken-recipe-dinner-2024-4">chicken breast</a> or selecting severely bruised produce. Shopping online means you need to select a specific item for the shopper to get. If I were shopping in person, I'd just grab an alternative if I couldn't find the exact item, but this doesn't usually happen when someone is shopping for you.All of this means that I end up having to go to the grocery store anyway, usually stressed because I was counting on the grocery delivery service to save time. It's a wrinkle in my day that I'd rather avoid, which means I'm better off doing the shopping myself.Using a grocery delivery service can save time and energy, but it also comes with added costs and, oftentimes, frustration. I'll continue to use it sparingly when I'm in a pinch, but otherwise will stick to in-person shopping.

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