Uber Expanding into Groceries

In yet another sign that the digital world is expanding into every part of our lives, and that soon every part of our lives will be digital, Uber announced its intentions to acquire grocery-delivery service Cornershop.

I find this fascinating for several reasons:

1. It concerns some of my favorite topics: food (yum!), logistics (my original background and still profession), and competition.
2. It marries supply chain economics to the digital world of marketing
3. It has massive implications for food marketers' distribution strategies

The truth is, this is not a question of the future of Uber or whichever company (or companies) will break through to someday dominate global transportation of people, goods, and services. Maybe no single company will. This is a subject of intense debate.

What is of vital importance for marketers is that grocery delivery is about to explode, and pretty soon all consumers will expect to be able to get what they want, when they want it, however, they want it. And as we work to shape demand, we need to keep these Omni-channel considerations in mind. Uber just wants to make sure that they are in on the action.