Several delivery startups are cracking the fifteen-minute delivery window, including Gopuff, Zepto, and Getir. 

The Big Race: Making on-demand ecommerce nearly instantaneous — which relies on a mix of cutting-edge tech and strategic fulfillment centers — feels like the final leg of the race to the top of gig-platform market share.

Behind the Orders: It’s about to become quicker to order your groceries than pick them up yourself.

Just look at Gopuff:

  • Co-CEO Yakir Gola told Axios that Gopuff has hundreds of “micro-fulfillment centers” in most major US cities.

  • These centers are stocked for “everyday essentials,” with top products being eggs, water, and paper towels.

  • The company has also struck deals with specific brands to service their ultra-fast ecommerce ambitions, including Disney and Starbucks (some baristas work in GoPuff fulfillment centers).

Checkout: Gola says Gopuff is also developing its own in-house AI tools to optimize deliveries even more. It’s a similar approach to Amazon and Walmart, the latter of which plans to have a three-hour delivery option for 95% of US households by the end of the year. And with the (bumpy) rollout of drone delivery, those delivery times could speed up even more.

Prediction: To keep up with these insane delivery-time promises, we wouldn’t be surprised if gig platforms start recruiting from collegiate athletic programs.

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