Latest news with #fooddelivery
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
These groceries cost 45% more from Uber Eats than in-store
Inspired by a La Presse experiment, I learned the cost of convenience. It's not just the expected fees that add to the hefty totals for groceries ordered via food delivery apps, though. Overall, ordering from Sobeys' Uber Eats storefront was 45 per cent more expensive than shopping IRL. My bill jumped from $73.16 at a Toronto brick-and-mortar Sobeys location to $105.88 via the delivery app. Bag, service and delivery fees, tip and taxes notwithstanding, my items cost 16 per cent more in-app, and the on-shelf sales applied only two-thirds of the time. La Presse journalist Marie-Eve Fournier's groceries increased 116 per cent, from $38 in-store to $82 from the same Montreal IGA on Uber Eats. Fournier admits she 'cheated a little' by selecting items from the flyer. My only guiding principle was choosing products I usually buy at Sobeys: chicken thighs, dried beans, yogurt, cheese, arugula, frozen blueberries, sparkling water, tortilla chips and toilet paper. Four of the nine items I bought were Sobeys' house brand, Compliments. Three were on sale in-store, two of which were reduced in-app. I added products to my virtual cart at the same time as my physical one, making sure there was plenty of stock so my Uber Eats shopper wouldn't have any issues fulfilling the order. It occurred to me as I completed my purchase that we were in the store at the same time. As I fumbled at the self-checkout, my shopper was already walking the aisles. They delivered my order a little over an hour after I placed it. Regular-priced items such as arugula, dried beans, sparkling water and tortilla chips were five per cent more expensive in the app than in the Sobeys store. Of the in-store sale items, yogurt and frozen blueberries cost 17 per cent more online, and toilet paper went up 40 per cent. Let that sink in. Call me naive, but I assumed the prices in an online storefront would match those on physical shelves. 'Join the club,' says Sylvain Charlebois, senior director of Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab, a colleague of Fournier's but not involved in her Uber Eats column. 'I used Instacart a few times during COVID, and that's it. So, I wasn't aware of these price discrepancies at all, and I suspect many Canadians aren't either.' According to Keerthana Rang, corporate communications lead at Uber Canada, 'Merchants are responsible for setting their own prices on their Uber Eats storefronts. Prices set by merchants in the Uber Eats app may differ from those in-store. Merchants that do offer in-store pricing on Uber Eats are highlighted with an 'in-store pricing' badge in the app, such as Metro, Food Basics, LCBO and Giant Tiger.' So, why do some retailers set higher grocery prices on delivery apps than in stores? Sobeys, which has partnerships with Instacart and Uber Eats, didn't exactly answer the question. 'The pricing on these platforms reflect different service models. In-store promotions and promotions featured on Voilà may not be applicable on Uber Eats and/or Instacart,' Sobeys said in an email to National Post. At time of writing, a Sobeys spokesperson hadn't responded to a request for more information on the nature of these service models and how they affect the prices of regular (non-sale) items. On Voilà, the supermarket chain's home delivery service, prices for the products I bought matched those in-store. 'We've grown to accept or expect that prices are going to be consistent in-store and online,' says Jenna Jacobson, the director of Toronto Metropolitan University's Retail Leadership Institute and an associate professor focused on retail management. 'But there are many, many times, even in regular retail, where that's not the case, where things may be more expensive in-store even.' A disconnect between prices can happen in other sectors, but an online surcharge is especially common with groceries, takeout and restaurants, Jacobson explains. 'It's quite a complicated consumer marketplace, and every app or retailer gets to set the terms. The power consumers have is determining whether they buy into it, whether it's worth it for them or not.' Pricing inconsistencies are just one part of the issue — there are also the fees. On May 28, Toronto-based law firm Koskie Minsky LLP filed a statement of claim against Uber Eats Canada, alleging it charges customers a hidden fee of roughly 10 per cent of the cart. The firm told CTV News that the levy is a 'quintessential example of drip pricing practices' (when companies draw customers in with low prices only to add mandatory fees at checkout). Similarly, on June 9, the Competition Bureau announced it's suing DoorDash for its 'deceptive price and discount advertising.' (DoorDash has disputed the Competition Bureau's allegations.) Does rice contain arsenic? Yes, here's how you can reduce the risk Protein coffee is gaining momentum, with Tim Hortons and Starbucks joining the fray Allegations of drip pricing aside, I was aware of the fees applying to my grocery order before I authorized the transaction: bag fee ($1, which 'may apply if mandated by law or charged by the merchant,' says Rang), service fee ($6.99), delivery fee ($2.99) and tax ($4.82). (Plus a 15 per cent tip; $14.55.) What wasn't apparent, though, is that the grocery prices were higher. Despite my surprise, the 45-per-cent increase I experienced aligns with what Jacobson would expect. Fournier's 116-per-cent increase 'would be a lot.' Individual grocery items could cost from five to 15 per cent more online, which is also mostly what I experienced. (The 40 per cent toilet paper increase was the outlier.) Mark-ups vary across platforms, restaurants and retailers, making them challenging for consumers to detect. On average, though, they equate to 'a significantly higher bill,' says Jacobson. They can depend on the time of day or length of the delivery window. You could join a subscription model, in which you pay a set fee each month in exchange for lower service and delivery fees, or you could pay the standard fees plus 'an optional, but often expected' tip. In the case of Uber Eats, 100 per cent of the tip goes 'directly to the delivery people,' says Rang. Earnings also include the fare, which is based on the estimated distance and time. 'Additionally, in B.C., and beginning July 1 in Ontario, a government-initiated minimum earnings standard is in place, ensuring that delivery people receive a guaranteed base pay for their engaged time.' Factoring in the fees and potentially higher item prices, 'your typical delivery app order for your groceries is certainly going to have a large convenience premium,' says Jacobson. For some consumers, these premiums may be justified. 'When you're talking about grocery, there's a pretty significant amount of time that people are spending in the grocery store going around, picking their fruits and vegetables and finding the produce.' Jacobson suggests consumers be strategic: Avoid paying more for last-minute or evening delivery slots and determine which platform works best for what you need, which changes over time. Charlebois also highlights the 'sky-high' cost of convenience when using apps like Uber Eats for groceries. The ethics of the issue are critical, he adds. 'I think everyone agrees that there's a price to pay for convenience. But does that price go up when greed is involved? And when you have seniors and people that are chronically ill — they just got an operation, they're not able to be mobile for a while, they can't leave their home — they have to get their food delivered, and they're paying extra for all that.' Some people who use food delivery apps for groceries have options, 'but many do not,' says Charlebois. According to Statistics Canada's consumer price index, the food inflation rate fell from 3.8 per cent in April to 3.4 per cent in May. On June 24, 'I posted that and online, people are saying, 'Oh, my God, it's too much.' We're talking 45 per cent,' says Charlebois, referencing the price difference I encountered. 'Forty-five — for food.' Jacobson says there's 'big growth' in grocery delivery, with players such as Uber Eats offering promotions to entice people to place their first orders and move from in-store shopping. According to Statista, the revenue of the grocery delivery market alone is expected to grow by 10.8 per cent in 2026. This year, the average revenue per Canadian grocery delivery user is estimated to be roughly $753. Consumers need to know what's playing into the premium they're paying before they can make an informed decision about whether the extra cost is worth it to them or not. When I ask Jacobson who's responsible for sharing this information, she said, 'There's definitely a shared responsibility (between retailers and platforms). But at the end of the day, it's the consumer who makes the decision as to where they want to spend their money.' So, after all of this, who should I be mad at? One thing's for sure: not my shopper, who left the comfort of their air-conditioned car to haul groceries on the hottest day since July 13, 2016. Thank you for your service. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our cookbook and recipe newsletter, Cook This, here.
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
China's AI Dragons Risk Choking Each Other
It's a story that has played out many times in the history of China's tech sector. Notoriously fierce competition means that whenever a new craze comes along, scores of rivals emerge ready to pounce. Firms are then locked in a race to the bottom when it comes to pricing. The food delivery wars forced out smaller players over the years and led bubble tea — another consumer fad fallen prey — to be sold this month for as little as 1.68 yuan (less than 25 cents). A similar cutthroat market has left behind a trail of zombie cars in the electric-vehicle sector. Now the same forces are in full swing in the booming artificial intelligence industry.
National Post
2 days ago
- Business
- National Post
These groceries cost 45% more from Sobeys' Uber Eats than in-store
Article content Inspired by a La Presse experiment, I learned the cost of convenience. It's not just the expected fees that add to the hefty totals for groceries ordered via food delivery apps, though. Overall, ordering from Sobeys' Uber Eats storefront was 45 per cent more expensive than shopping IRL. My bill jumped from $73.16 at a Toronto brick-and-mortar Sobeys location to $105.88 via the delivery app. Article content Article content Bag, service and delivery fees, tip and taxes notwithstanding, my items cost 16 per cent more in-app, and the on-shelf sales applied only two-thirds of the time. Article content Article content Article content La Presse journalist Marie-Eve Fournier's groceries increased 116 per cent, from $38 in-store to $82 from the same Montreal IGA on Uber Eats. Fournier admits she 'cheated a little' by selecting items from the flyer. My only guiding principle was choosing products I usually buy at Sobeys: chicken thighs, dried beans, yogurt, cheese, arugula, frozen blueberries, sparkling water, tortilla chips and toilet paper. Article content Four of the nine items I bought were Sobeys' house brand, Compliments. Three were on sale in-store, two of which were reduced in-app. Article content I added products to my virtual cart at the same time as my physical one, making sure there was plenty of stock so my Uber Eats shopper wouldn't have any issues fulfilling the order. It occurred to me as I completed my purchase that we were in the store at the same time. As I fumbled at the self-checkout, my shopper was already walking the aisles. They delivered my order a little over an hour after I placed it. Article content Article content Regular-priced items such as arugula, dried beans, sparkling water and tortilla chips were five per cent more expensive in the app than in the Sobeys store. Of the in-store sale items, yogurt and frozen blueberries cost 17 per cent more online, and toilet paper went up 40 per cent. Let that sink in. Article content Article content Call me naive, but I assumed the prices in an online storefront would match those on physical shelves. 'Join the club,' says Sylvain Charlebois, senior director of Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab, a colleague of Fournier's but not involved in her Uber Eats column. 'I used Instacart a few times during COVID, and that's it. So, I wasn't aware of these price discrepancies at all, and I suspect many Canadians aren't either.' Article content According to Keerthana Rang, corporate communications lead at Uber Canada, 'Merchants are responsible for setting their own prices on their Uber Eats storefronts. Prices set by merchants in the Uber Eats app may differ from those in-store. Merchants that do offer in-store pricing on Uber Eats are highlighted with an 'in-store pricing' badge in the app, such as Metro, Food Basics, LCBO and Giant Tiger.'
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
JD.com hires full-time food delivery riders to challenge Meituan, Alibaba
JD Logistics has kicked off recruitment of full-time meal delivery riders, as its parent – e-commerce giant – intensifies efforts to compete with Meituan and Alibaba Group Holding in the lucrative Chinese food delivery market. Hong Kong-listed JD Logistics said on Tuesday it had started hiring full-time riders for food delivery business, in a move aimed at broadening the subsidiary's service offerings, according to a filing with the stock exchange. Beijing-based launched its food delivery service in February following a trial last year, sparking a turf war in a sector long dominated by Meituan and Alibaba's recruitment drive suggested that it urgently needed to strengthen its courier workforce amid heightened competition in the food delivery market, analysts said. 'With JD Food Delivery's daily orders surpassing 25 million, the courier shortage has become increasingly apparent,' said Cheng Liteng, an analyst at Chinese e-commerce consultancy A Meituan food delivery courier in Chongqing, southwest China. For months, has been relying on its on-demand delivery subsidiary Dada Nexus, which counts 1.3 million annual active riders, to support its new food delivery services. said last week it had hired over 120,000 full-time meal-delivery riders as of mid-June, with CEO Sandy Xu Ran expecting this number to reach 150,000 by the end of the quarter. Despite the rapid addition, these figures still lagged those of competitors with millions of delivery personnel, including both full-time and part-time riders.
Zawya
3 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Best Mart 360 Debuts on foodpanda mall in Hong Kong
Over 500 Premium Global Products Now Available for Convenient Home Shopping HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 25 June 2025 - Best Mart 360 Holdings Limited ("Best Mart 360" or the "Company", together with its subsidiaries, the "Group"; stock code: a leading leisure food retailer in Hong Kong, is excited to announce that its flagship retail brand, "Best Mart 360˚ " and its global gourmet brand, "FoodVille", are now available on foodpanda mall. In addition to its extensive network of over 170 stores across Hong Kong, Best Mart 360 is committed to expanding its online platform services, seamlessly integrating online and offline experiences to provide customers with a more convenient and comprehensive shopping experience. Leveraging its global sourcing expertise, Best Mart 360 brings an extensive range of over 500 high-quality, competitively priced yet premium products to foodpanda mall, including (i) popular snacks such as biscuits, candies, and chocolates from Japan, Korea, Europe, and the Americas; (ii) exclusive flagship brands and featured products; (iii) a curated selection of international wines, sake, and beers; and (iv) premium cooking oils, condiments, and essential household groceries. Convenient Shopping Across the Territory Experience 24/7 Access to Premium Living With foodpanda Mall, customers can order their favorite products, and foodpanda couriers will pick them up from selected Best Mart 360° or FoodVille stores, delivering in as little as 30 minutes. The service will initially be piloted at 39 stores and will gradually expand to more locations, unveiling more best-selling items in the near future. Mr. Hui Chi Kwan, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Group, said, "We are delighted to collaborate with foodpanda to bring our global premium products online. This collaboration meets our customers' demand for convenience, offering access to high-quality, competitively priced items anytime, anywhere. It further embodies our brand commitment of 'Premium Living, Within Reach,' connecting us even closer to our customers' daily lives." Mr. Darren Luk - Director, Q-Commerce (HKTW) of foodpanda, said, "We're dedicated to providing diverse lifestyle products. Best Mart 360's addition enhances our offerings, particularly for imported snacks and groceries, solidifying foodpanda mall as Hong Kong's go-to one-stop delivery platform." List of Designated Branches: Best Mart 360 ˚ Hong Kong Island 1. Shop L, G/F, 484-496 Queen's Road West, Shek Tong Tsui 6. Shop 301, L3, New Jade Shopping Arcade, Chai Wan 2. Shop Nos. D09-D13a, First Floor, Queensway Plaza, 93 Queensway, Admiralty 7. Shop A and B, Ground Floor, 3-5 Stanley New Street, Stanley 3. Shop No. 1, G/F, 334-336 King's Road, North Point 8. Shop E, G/F, Albert House,22 Chengtu Road, Aberdeen 4. Shop D, G/F, Ellen Building, 192-198 Shau Kei Wan Road, Shau Kei Wan 9. Shop 17, G/F, Hang Fung Mansion,17-19 Wong Nai Chung Rd, Happy Valley 5. Shop 3 & Shop 4, G/F, 981 King's Road, Quarry Bay 10. Shop A, G/F, 194-204 Johnston Road, Wanchai Kowloon 1. Shop 18, G/F, 1-7 Wu Kwong Street, Hung Hom 6. Shop UG22, UG/F, Temple Mall South, Wong Tai Sin 2. G/F, 128-130 Nga Tsin Wai Road, Kowloon City 7. Shops 79-80, 1/F, Laguna Plaza, Kwun Tong 3. G/F, 511 Nathan Road, Yau Ma Tei 4. G/F, 180 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui 5. Shop G19, G/F, Un Chau Shopping Centre, Cheung Sha Wan New Territories 1. Shop 205A, L2, Tai Wo Plaza, Tai Po 9. Shop Nos. 4A, 4B and 19, G/F,Chung On Shopping Centre, Ma On Shan 2. Shop No. A212, Level 2, YOHO Mall II, Yuen Long 10. Shop 53B, 55A & 55B, 3/F, Shatin Centre, Sha Tin 3. Shop No. L045, G/F, Tin Yiu Plaza, Tin Yiu Estate, Tin Shui Wai 11. Shop Nos. TAW 31-32, MTR Tai Wai Station, Tai Wai 4. Shop Nos. H-217 & H-218A, Level 2, Zone H, H.A.N.D.S., Tuen Mun 12. Shops G2-3 & G16-18, G/F, Tai Hung Fai(Tsuen Wan) Centre, Chung On Street, Tsuen Wan 5. Shop Nos. 209-211, 1/F, Fanling Centre, Fanling 13. Shop TSY 30-31, Tsing Yi Station, Tsing Yi 6. Shop Nos. UG046-47, UG/F,Metro City Phase II, Tseung Kwan O 14. Shop No. B (2-8, 23-25), 2/F, Sun Kwai Hing Plaza, Kwai Chung 7. Shop 15, G/F, Sai Kung Garden, 16 Chan Man Street, Sai Kung 15. Shop 105, 1/F, Fu Tung Plaza, Tung Chung 8. Shops F75-76, 1/F, PopCorn 2, Tseung Kwan O FoodVille Kowloon 1. Shop No. G8-9 &16-19 on Ground Floor of Amoy Plaza Gardens, Phase I, 77 Ngau Tau Kok Road, Ngau Tau Kok New Territories 1. Shop Unit 304, The LOHAS, LOHAS Park, Tseung Kwan O 4. Shop No. 354, Level 2, Zone E, Tai Po Mega Mall, Tai Po 2. Shop 183, Level 1, Maritime Square 2, Tsing Yi 5. Shop Unit 503, Level 5, The Wai, Sha Tin 3. Shop No. 3013, Level 3, MOSTown (Phase 4), Ma On Shan 6. Shop Nos. 152-153, Level 1, Park Central, 9 Tong Tak Street, Tseung Kwan O Hashtag: #優品360 #BestMart360 #foodpanda #foodpandamall The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Best Mart 360 Holdings Limited Best Mart 360 Holdings Limited operates chain retail stores under the brand "Best Mart 360 ˚", offering wide selection of imported and pre-packaged leisure foods and other grocery products principally from overseas. It is the Group's business objective to offer "Best Quality" and "Best Price" products to customers through continuous efforts on global procurement with a mission to provide comfortable shopping environment and pleasurable shopping experience to customers. As at 31 December 2024, the Group operated a total of 176 chain retail stores, spanning all of the 18 districts in Hong Kong and strategic locations with heavy pedestrian flow in Macau. Among the chain retail stores, the global gourmet brand "FoodVille" launched in September 2021 is also included, targeting the medium-to-high-end-market. Best Mart 360
