How Uber Eats, Door Dash, and Grubhub Are Easing Last-mile Delivery Challenges for Grocers

E-commerce profitability remains the No.1 challenge for grocers, according to Grocery Doppio’s 2025 Digital Grocery Outlook: Profitability, Fulfillment and Personalization report. So how are last mile delivery companies like Uber Eats, Door Dash, and Grubhub helping to ease burdens for grocers and their customers?

Uber Eats continues to expand its partnerships with grocers, adding Wegmans Food Markets into the mix in January. Uber Eats users can now order from Wegmans through the app, increasing consumer access to Wegmans’ offerings and allowing them to shop when and how they want.

"Our goal is to make meals easy and help our customers live healthier, better lives through exceptional food," said Erica Tickle, Wegmans Vice President of Marketing and Digital Growth. "Partnering with Uber and expanding our delivery network is just one way we're able to continue delivering on that mission."

Wegmans locations in Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C. are now available to shop on the Uber Eats and Uber apps, while Wegmans locations in New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware will be added to the app in February.

Beyond providing grocers like Wegmans a new way to satisfy customers’ desire for delivery, Uber Eats is also seeking to address social determinants of health (SDOH). 

SDOH, including transportation and nutrition, play an important role in determining overall health outcomes. To this end, Uber Health recently partnered with InComm Payments’ InComm Healthcare business unit to launch a benefit program for health plans. The program enables members to order meal and grocery deliveries on the Uber Eats app using plan-sponsored funds.

As an expansion of the company's transportation benefit program, this new offering empowers health plans with more ways to increase member engagement and address SDOH. Members of participating health plans can use the Uber Eats app to order groceries or over-the-counter (OTC) items and pay for purchases using plan-sponsored funds on their Dual Network Benefit Card™.

"Food insecurity and access to affordable healthcare are top of mind for health plans seeking ways to improve member health," said Dave Etling, Senior Vice President and General Manager at InComm Healthcare. "Uber Health is at the forefront of providing services to address both of these concerns, particularly in communities where transportation gaps make it difficult to reach a pharmacy or grocery store. By combining Uber's expertise, scale and reliability with our healthcare payments technology, health plan members can access the stores they need to live healthy lives."

DoorDash is helping to fight food insecurity for SNAP beneficiaries by adding new grocers that will accept SNAP/EBT payments on the DoorDash Marketplace. New grocers Wakefern Food Corp., Southeastern Grocers, and BJ’s Wholesale Club have joined several other grocery retailers that offer SNAP/EBT payment capabilities on DoorDash, including Albertsons, ALDI, Safeway, Sheetz, and Walgreens. According to DoorDash, 93% of monthly active consumers on DoorDash have access to at least one store accepting SNAP on the platform.

“Since launching support for SNAP/EBT payments in 2023, our network of stores that accept SNAP/EBT online payments on the DoorDash Marketplace has grown to over 15,000 across the United States,” said Fuad Hannon, VP of New Verticals at DoorDash. “We’re proud to offer online grocery delivery to SNAP beneficiaries, helping them access fresh, affordable food regardless of their circumstances – whether they face time constraints, limited transportation, or mobility challenges. The addition of SNAP/EBT payments to these partners on DoorDash underscores our ongoing commitment to breaking down barriers to food access nationwide.”

Beyond growing grocery store partnerships and increasing access to groceries, expanding fulfillment to destinations outside of the home or office is another way delivery marketplaces are reaching new customers.

Grubhub has found success by offering delivery of food, grocery, and convenience items to hotel guests through scanning a QR code. In December, Grubhub Onsite and Hilton announced an expansion of their partnership to over 2,600 hotels across the Hampton by Hilton, Tru by Hilton, and Spark by Hilton brands. Grubhub Onsite at Homewood Suites by Hilton and Home2 Suites by Hilton launched in 2023 and since then orders to Hilton properties have more than doubled, with Sunday being the most popular day for orders, according to Grubhub.

"Expanding our partnership with Hilton is a testament to our successful alliance and the strong demand for our service among guests seeking convenient, affordable delivery," said Rob DelaCruz, vice president and general manager of Grubhub Onsite. "Whether it's comfort food from a local restaurant, groceries to complete a meal, or forgotten toiletries, we're devoted to supporting Hilton's guests while they're away from home."

Third-party platforms are holding steady even as grocers reduce their reliance on them, according to Grocery Doppio’s report, which finds that 83% of grocery retailers believe third party platforms will become their direct competitors in future (+2% since 2021).

By reaching new customers and offering opportunities for consumers to make grocery purchases how and when they want, Uber Eats, Door Dash, and Grubhub are giving grocery shoppers options.

More choice is important for the grocery industry because omnichannel shoppers, who represent 19% of the customer base, are the most valuable, according to Grocery Doppio’s State of Digital Grocery: Evolve to Improve Profitability report. With an average monthly spend of $1,044 and a margin of 25.6%, this cohort demonstrates that customers who use both online and in-store options are highly profitable. By shopping across channels, they engage deeply with retailers, something every grocer wants.