logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2021
24m 20s

Food Delivery Wars | Can Food Apps Ever ...

Wondery
About this episode

In the wake of the unexpected jolt of the COVID-19 pandemic, food delivery app businesses are looking for stability and profitability any way they can find it. With Uber’s purchase of Postmates and DoorDash buying Caviar, consolidation has become all the rage. 

And the apps are diversifying into prescription fulfillment, groceries, and third-party logistics. But the razor-thin profit margins, rising costs of doing business, and withering relationships with labor and restaurants are taking their toll.

We’re joined by Preetika Rana, a technology reporter at The Wall Street Journal to discuss how these app companies plan to be the last one standing in the food fight.

Listen to new episodes 1 week early and to all episodes ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/businesswars.

Support us by supporting our sponsors!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Oct 8
The Rise and Fall of Peloton | Welcome to the Ride | 1
In 2011, avid fitness fan John Foley comes up with an idea for an internet-connected exercise bike that allows users to experience the communal nature of a cycling class from the comfort of home. He thinks the idea will make gyms a relic of the past. The next year, he and four ot ... Show More
39m 31s
Oct 1
Dieselgate | Running on Fumes | 2
By 2014, Volkswagen has taken the U.S. auto market by storm with its fleet of affordable, fuel-efficient diesel cars. But a new study threatens to reveal the dirty truth behind so-called ""clean"" diesel. When the EPA comes knocking with questions, the company's very survival is ... Show More
38m 38s
Sep 24
Dieselgate | Truth or Dare | 1
In 2007, Volkswagen's new CEO Martin Winterkorn sets his sights on besting GM and Toyota to become the top automaker in the world. But the company can't get there without cutting a few regulatory corners.Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendation ... Show More
30m 45s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2023
The surprise that's saving food with Lucie Basch of Too Good To Go (2023)
Collaboration is the new competition: that was French entrepreneur Lucie Basch’s philosophy when she approached a group of Danish founders who happened to be working on a similar food waste reduction app. Before long, Lucie and her new co-founders joined forces to create Too Good ... Show More
41m 43s
Feb 2022
Who Profits from Food Delivery Apps?
Consumers are spending billions via food delivery apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats, but no one -- not the drivers, the restaurants, or the apps themselves -- are seeing much profit. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://money.howstuffworks.com/f ... Show More
10m 49s
Feb 2024
🍦 “$18 for a Frosty?” – Wendy’s surge pricing. The grocery store election. Apple’s canceled iCar.
Inspired by Uber, Wendy’s is adding digital billboards to all locations by 2025 so it can bring Surge Pricing to fast food — How much does a burger cost? Depends on the time of day.Kroger and Albertsons were about to merge in the biggest deal in grocery history, but the governmen ... Show More
19m 34s
Aug 2023
Abscam | Money Talks | 1
The FBI launches an operation to catch white-collar criminals. To pull off the sting, agents partner with a lifelong conman—who offers an unusual plan.Want to listen to the remaining episodes of Abscam? Episodes 2 and 3 are available exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. With Wond ... Show More
43m 39s
Sep 2021
Plane Crash in the Andes | The Cutting | 2
The remaining survivors of the Fairchild crash are starting to lose hope that rescuers will arrive after ten days of inactivity. Nando Parrado and Roberto Canessa understand their only chance at survival is to send a small team through the Andes mountains and down into Chile for ... Show More
47m 58s
Aug 2023
Building Lego | Out of the Ashes | 1
A small Danish toy company survives World War Two thanks to its quality craftsmanship, but behind the scenes all is not well. Despite its good reputation, Lego teeters on the edge of bankruptcy, and a choice to change production methods threatens to tear the family-owned company ... Show More
35m 40s
May 2024
🩱 “85% off Ozempic” — Ozempic’s weight-loss dupe. Burger King’s free-tuition strategy. Red Lobster’s shrimp bankrupt-sea.
Coca-Cola, Lockheed Martin, & Burger King are all pursuing the same marketing strategy: Pay your tuition — Companies are dishing out scholarships because brands are the new institutions.Ozempic is facing its first ever dupe, a version that costs 85% less — Hims & Hers found a loo ... Show More
23m 47s