Uber Eats clearly has its eyes on competitors like DoorDash and Instacart, as the company’s recent announcements have made clear.

Uber’s Head of Grocery + Retail Fulfillment Products David Meers made a number of announcements from the Curbivore stage to highlight the company’s improvements to its grocery shopping experience, as the company moves beyond delivering restaurant meals. The key updates include:

• Out of stock items - suggesting ideal alternatives to shoppers when they can’t find the preferred item

• Digital payments - allowing shoppers to pay with a virtual Apple or Google Pay credit card

• Order details - adding clarity to shoppers’ instructions to speed up cart fulfillment.

More labor upfront means less labor down the line

David was joined by an Uber Eats shopper, as well as Kabir Jain, the Chief Growth Officer of LA’s celebrated regional grocery chain Erewhon Market, on March 3rd. The conversation touched on a number of behind-the-scenes secrets to Uber Eats’ growth, touching on a number of labor saving processes.