Packaged Facts Analyst Weighs in on Uber's Reported Negotiations to Acquire Grubhub, a Move That Combines the First & Second Largest Online Foodservice Delivery Firms

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May 14, 2020, 10:26 ET

ROCKVILLE, Md., May 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 12, Bloomberg News first reported that Uber Technologies Incorporated (San Francisco, CA) was in negotiations to acquire Grubhub Incorporated (Chicago, IL). This deal, if completed, would combine the first and second largest online foodservice delivery firms. However, negotiations could still fall through or any agreed-upon deal could fail to pass likely regulatory hurdles

Uber's UberEats unit has been the bright spot for the company recently as stay-at-home orders and sharp reductions in travel for business and pleasure have led to steep declines for the company's flagship ride-hailing unit. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi noted on a recent earnings call that "a higher and higher percentage of our Rides customers are using Eats."

According to Packaged Facts analyst Cara Rasch, "Even before dine-in services at restaurants were widely shuttered in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, restaurants and retailers of all types were attempting to expand convenience food options by making more items available for carryout and delivery. Over the last few years, the advent of apps and web portals allowing users to order from local restaurants and stores via the internet or a mobile application has caused carryout, and especially delivery, of prepared food to expand rapidly."

Furthermore, she notes, "Online order services can be offered by third parties or proprietary, in-house applications. However, third-party apps have a number of advantages, including consumer convenience of being able to order from a variety of restaurants using one app. While some restaurants consider the commissions that third-party online delivery companies charge to be a burden, they allow a restaurant to participate in delivery without investing in their own app or delivery staff."

Rasch adds, "While using a third-party delivery app has high costs, the potential rewards are expanding customer base and appealing to consumer needs. Many restaurants have begun to use these services to remain competitive during the COVID-19 crisis."

She continues, "Some of the third-party delivery apps have offered independent restaurants a temporary suspension of commissions or reduced commissions during this time when dine-in service is closed. The question remains if this just buys the restaurants time to develop their own processes or if they will stick with the third-party apps when the high commission rates return."

However, Rasch notes, "Profitability difficulties and labor issues have challenged the third-party delivery industry, which is still in its infancy. In the longer run, third-party digital delivery operators will be faced with more foodservice operators developing their own delivery services. Foodservice companies may also combine with other local foodservice providers to offer the service at a lower fee level and to have more control of the delivery process."

Additional analysis of the food delivery industry can be found in Packaged Facts reports such as Food Carryout & Delivery, Online Grocery Shopping, Meal Kits, Eating Trends: Restaurant Use, and Global Food E-Commerce. Related information from The Freedonia Group, Packaged Facts' sister publisher, can be found in reports such as Foodservice Single-Use Products, Retail Bags, and Global Single-Use Packaging Regulations.

About Packaged Facts

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SOURCE Packaged Facts