Only the major players — Walmart, Safeway, Kroger, Amazon and Target (through its Shipt subsidiary) — along with a handful of others have brought grocery delivery in-house. But some industry observers think it might be time for others to join that club, citing the need to maintain control over the transaction from start to finish.
“The customer expects the retailer to support the entire order lifecycle, including last mile delivery,” explains Ken Morris, managing partner Cambridge Retail Advisors. If third-party delivery goes wrong, consumers will hold the retailer responsible — not Instacart or DoorDash.
