Unlike other middlemen like Instacart and Uber Eats, GoPuff acts more like a retailer, buying directly from giants like Anheuser-Busch, PepsiCo and Unilever. It generates revenue not so much from the nominal delivery fee, but from slapping a hefty markup on the stuff and, increasingly, selling better placement on its app.

How is GoPuff pushing the category forward?

Founded in 2013 as a late-night service for college students to order junk food, rolling papers and condoms, GoPuff has gone mainstream, and now offers 3,000 items ranging from over-the-counter medicine and laundry detergent to pet food and nail polish—all delivered in around 30 minutes for a flat $2 fee.