Based on this high level analysis, it’s not surprising to see that alcohol, convenience, and pet are emerging as battlegrounds for on-demand delivery of late. Uber acquired alcohol delivery startup Drizly last year, and GoPuff acquired Liquor Barn in June. Doordash has recently expanded into Pet and Floral.

Independent research confirms that large CPG grew 1.1% from 2013-17, while upstart brands grew almost 4x faster in the same time period. The contraction has caused these firms to jettison shrinking legacy brands like Lipton, Chiclets, and more. They are recycling that cash to buy smaller companies (e.g. RxBar to NYSE:K for $600m) to replace the... See more