Delivery is not going away any time soon, and if you thought major retailers hadn’t noticed, think again! Retailers like Walmart and Target are constantly looking for new opportunities to get more products to customers, faster, and one quick way to do that is through acquisitions. Below, senior RSG contributor Paula Gibbins breaks down Target’s new acquisition of Deliv.
Deliv is a same-day delivery service that’s available in 35 markets across the U.S. with offices in California and Georgia. But, like many businesses during these trying times, they are struggling.
Deliv may be going out of business, but Target has stepped in to acquire it.
What’s Happening Now?
In an effort to expand their delivery services, Target is looking to acquire the proprietary technology and some of its staff which will help in batching and routing orders.
This isn’t new: Walmart acquired same-day delivery service Parcel in 2017 to facilitate faster package delivery, and it looks like these acquisitions are only getting started.
Just recently it was announced that Uber is ‘aggressively pursuing’ buying GrubHub, a restaurant delivery service. Don’t be surprised if we see more of these companies merging!
One thing to note is that Deliv’s existing customers will not be transitioned over to the Target system. It’s likely that the technology Target will acquire will not be implemented into their delivery system for a time.
This will give Target a chance to learn the benefits of it and how it can improve their system.
In a recent article about this acquisition, Target Chief Operating Officer John Mulligan was quoted as saying:
“This new operating model is also how we enable our growing suite of fulfillment services. From drive up to pick up and delivery from Shipt, our stores are serving up a whole range of options to meet guests however they want to shop and as soon as an hour.”
Unlike Amazon’s distribution centers, Target stores are a key part in the fulfillment of orders.
In 2017, Target acquired Shipt in a $550 million cash deal. In 2017, Shipt had a network of 20,000 shoppers. After Target’s acquisition, that grew to 100,000.
Delivery Demand Increases
We all know with COVID-19 and shelter-in-place orders in effect across most of the U.S., demand for delivery services has greatly increased over the last several months. It’s possible and probable that these services are going to continue being utilized after things settle down and go back to “normal.”
People are realizing how easy it is to order from the comfort of their home and get the food they want and need delivered for a low fee. People are also becoming more conscious of the importance of staying home if you feel unwell. Couple those two together, and you get more people ordering from home more often than before COVID-19 hit us.
So, what does this mean for drivers? You’ll likely be needed in delivery services more so than transportation services (like Uber and Lyft) moving forward.
Demand will even out again for Uber and Lyft, I am sure, but in the meantime, look into driving delivery and see if it’s a good fit for you.
Delivery and Gig Jobs that are Booming
If you want to try out delivery, take a look into Instacart, Postmates and DoorDash. Those three apps are gaining popularity across the U.S. and drivers are keeping busy getting people’s groceries, alcohol deliveries and fast food/restaurant orders.
Check out some articles we’ve recently written about Instacart to learn if that is a good fit for you: How Much Does Instacart Pay?, Instacart Goes on a Hiring Spree and Working for Instacart & Making $2,000 Per Week.
We’ve also covered Postmates: Postmates Driver: Working for Postmates Ultimate Guide and Postmates Referral Code: Postmates Sign Up Bonus Up to $550.
And, of course, DoorDash: How Much Do DoorDash Drivers Make? and DoorDash Tips n’ Tricks: How to Maximize Your DoorDash Cash.
Other gig jobs that are important during this time period are ones where you can work from home, such as:
Fiverr – You advertise your skills with Fiverr. Any skill you have that you want to try to earn money utilizing.
Thumbtack – Through Thumbtack, local professionals (that’s you!) are connected with customers. All you need to get started are basic handyman skills.
Swagbucks surveys – You don’t need any skills for this. Granted this will not earn you a living, but it’ll give you something to do if you’re sitting around the house on your phone anyway. Just take a few surveys when you have the time and start earning points that translate into gift cards.
What delivery services have you tried? Do you have a side gig that’s earning you more during the pandemic?
-Paula @ RSG
