Milk and eggs in 15 minutes: The $1tn battle for ultrafast delivery

From dark stores to robot shops on wheels, a new retail model takes U.S. cities by storm

20211119N Delivery workers

Buyk employees at a "dark store" prepare to make grocery deliveries on electric bikes. (Photo by Tamami Shimizuishi)

TAMAMI SHIMIZUISHI and HIONA SHIRAIWA, Nikkei staff writers

NEW YORK -- Born from the pandemic when people hunkered down at home, ultrafast delivery services that bring groceries within 15 minutes are expanding rapidly in big U.S. cities, shaking up the $1 trillion groceries industry.

Typical same-day delivery offered by major retailers usually required a minimum of one to two hours, but startups are fashioning a new form of consumption that allows customers to buy only what they need, when they need it.

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